Laurie Cuddy
by RosaLev
Summary: What if Lisa Cuddy and Sam's call girl from the West Wing are the same person? Crossover between House and The West Wing. Rated T to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

Crossover fiction between House and West Wing. What is Lisa Cuddy and Laurie (Sam's call girl friend from season one of West Wing) were the same person? They are played by the same actor so I thought this would fun.

A/N This is a crossover fic so some things have changed. Cuddy/Laurie was working as a call girl to put herself through medical school instead of law school. Sam gave Cuddy/Laurie a stethoscope for graduation instead of a briefcase. Takes place post series for West Wing and during the current season for House.

Disclaimer: The west wing and House belong to people much smarter than me. Since the people who do own them are both smarter and have more money I will ask that they do not sue me. Feel free to give me a job though...

And now... on with the show.

Princeton New Jersey Day.

"Mr. President?" Josh said while desperately trying to control his rage.

"Ah Josh, not this again" President Santos answered with an amused expression.

"Sir..." Josh spoke again

"Give it up Josh." Sam Seaborne interrupted his friend and boss.

"Sam, stay out of it." Josh's face was beginning to get red and Sam could see that he was starting to sweat. "Mr. President, we specifically spoke about this issue this afternoon"

"And I thought about it, realized that I'm the president and if I want to talk about something, I should be able to talk about it. Even if my chief of staff tells me not to." President Santos smiled at Josh and padded him on the back while heading out the door.

"We had a town hall meeting in New Jersey so that we can gear up for re-election..."

"...I know why we are here Josh" the president interrupted.

"Sir, we had this meeting..." Josh said

"Which went great by the way" Sam interrupted

"It was going great until the president called all of America's youth apathetic and stupid..."

"I didn't call them stupid, Josh. I called them apathetic and they are." President Santos paused for a moment. "I may have implied that they were stupid but I certainly didn't say it."

"Sir we could not have won the first election without the youth vote." Josh's voice was rising steadily. "We need them to show up on election day and you just called them apathetic." The three men walked towards the motorcade surround by secret service agents. Josh typed frantically on his blackberry trying to fix the latest mess that Santos had gotten them into. He stared at the small screen trying to get the words to focus. His breathing slowed and he felt himself falling behind the group. The headache he'd had for days seemed to be getting worse. He reached into his coat pocket for the Advil and Antacids he kept there. Before he could open the bottle, Josh felt a stabbing pain in his head. He didn't realize he was screaming even when the president, Sam and the Secret Service agents started running towards him. Suddenly everything went black.

Cue House Theme Music. And away we go.

Princeton Plainsboro Hospital: The same day

Lisa Cuddy walked into the Emergency Room of the hospital she ran and for a moment she had to pause and wonder at how far she had come. First female dean of medicine and the second youngest ever at Princeton Plainsboro Hospital. She had come a long since putting herself through medical school in DC. She looked up to find Gregory House sitting in the waiting room of the ER playing his PSP and looking bored. If only he knew how she had put herself through school. She smiled to herself. He made a lot of jokes but had never managed to figure it out.

"House, what the hell are you doing? Cuddy asked walking towards him.

"You said to go to the ER and so here I am." House answered without looking up from his game.

"I said that the ER was understaffed and that you could work off some clinic hours by working here today. Working and playing video games are not the same thing" With that statement she reached over and pulled the PSP out of his hands. "And if you don't start working right now I'm going to send to back to the clinic with double the amount of hours you were supposed to do today."

"Yes my queen" House answered while pulling his i pod out of his pocket.

"No music" Cuddy said firmly while taking it out of his hand.

"But MOM" House whined while reaching for his bottle of Vicodin. "And before you steal this too I'm willing to fight dirty to keep it."

"I wouldn't dare take your little pills away from you House. But if you don't get off your ass right now I'm not giving you another script until next week." At that moment the doors of the ER opened and what seemed like dozens of men in black suits streamed in followed by paramedics pushing a gurney while shouting information to the resident and nurses who had rushed towards them when they entered the building.

"Joshua Lyman, age forty, collapsed while exiting a town hall meeting. Witnesses say he was screaming before he passed out." The paramedic continued to relay information but Lisa Cuddy heard noting after the words _Joshua Lyman._ She knew him. She knew that man and as she looked around the room her eyes found another man she now realized she had been looking for since she heard Josh's name called. She saw him standing near the gurney, unintentionally getting in the way while they worked on his friend. Sam Seaborne, she thought to herself. He looks good. She took a deep breath and began to walk towards him while ignoring the odd look House was giving her. She was halfway there when she was stopped by a secret service agent. She spent 8 years in Washington DC and enough time around politicians to recognize them when she saw them.

"Ma'am, I'm agent Butterfield. I was told that you are Lisa Cuddy, Dean of Medicine. We have a situation. I need to speak with you if I may." Cuddy felt herself tense up. She had met agent Butterfield a few times, years ago while still in her old line of work. He had never hired her of course but he knew who she was. Secret service agents seemed to know who everyone was.

"Of course, shall we go to my office?" She answered him politely and professionally but he couldn't help but realize that she seemed distracted and was looking behind him. She looked familiar but he couldn't place her until he followed her gaze to see what she was looking at. When he realized that she was staring at Sam Seaborne, the pieces fell into place.

"Laurie" he said without thinking. "My god, Laurie. How are you?"

"I'm fine" She answered "Shall we go to my office now?"

"Of course" He responded and they walked towards her office. House sat in the waiting area and watched them leave. House was confused and surprised, 2 emotions he almost never experienced. It was rare to see Cuddy looking frazzled. Right now only one question ran through his head. "Who the hell is Laurie?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

He thought to himself. House picked up his cane and pointed it at an intern wondering through the hospital.

"You, Intern!" he shouted. "You know who I am?"

"Yes sir, of course I do." the young man answered

"Good than give me your lab coat. You may have it back at the end of the day. Ask doctor Cameron about it. She handles these things for me." House grabbed the coat from the young man and put it on. House put on the coat, popped another pill and than limped over to the newly arrived patient. He was stopped from entering the area by two secret service agents.

"Sir, you can't come in here. I'm going to have to ask you to leave. This is a secure area and we are waiting for a..." the agent stopped to look in his notebook. "...Dr. House."

"Well slap me silly and call me Greg." House responded. "Do you know what this doctor House looks like?"

"No sir, and we expect him to be awhile. A doctor Cuddy told us that it can be hard to convince him to take new cases." The agent spoke until he was interrupted by a voice from behind the curtain.

"I don't need to see doctor House or any other doctor, I'm not sick. I just need a red bull and a new shirt..."

"Ok, first of all i think you may be putting too much faith in the healing power of a new shirt..." said another voice from behind the curtain

"Sam, hand me my blackberry, I need to check up on a few things."

"Josh, I told you Lou is handling things right now, just relax."

"I'm fine. Give me my blackberry."

"Fine Josh, I'll give you your blackberry back. Let me just call Donna first and tell her whats up." The end of Sam's sentence was interrupted by a large crashing sound. The secret service agent looked surprised and turned towards the curtain, opening it with out delay. The scene was so ridiculous that House couldn't help but laugh out loud even though he realized this would do nothing to help him get closer to the patient. Sam stood at the edge of the bed while Josh lay on the floor tangled in his IV tubing and Oxygen mask. His hair clothes were a mess and he looked frantic. The agent House had been talking to rushed to the man's side and began to help him back into bed.

"Sir, are you all right?" The agent asked Josh

"Yeah I'm fine. Could you please get my blackberry from Sam. He won't give it back."

"Sir, I'm sorry but I can't do that." You agent answered

"Rodney, I hate to pull rank but you are on my secret service detail. I'm pretty sure you have to listen to me." Josh answered starting to get angry.

"Yes sir, but the president gave us strict orders." the agent responded. "You are not to have your blackberry, laptop or access to a phone until we figure out whats wrong with you."

"Fine, I get that but could you at least get my blackberry away from Sam." Josh pleaded. "He's going to call Donna and trust me when I tell you, she will freak out. She might actually kill me."

"Um... Sir" The agent began to speak again. He seemed nervous.

"No. No, Rodney. Please tell me that this is a funny joke thats not actually funny. Tell me you did not actually call my fiancée. She going to kill me. She told me not to go on this trip. She told me I was coming down with something. I will never live this down. She will bring this up every time she wants to get her way..." Josh rambled on until he was interrupted by House laughing hysterically. The agents, Sam and Josh looked at House. They had forgotten he was there.

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." The agent stood up and started walking towards House. House's pager went off and he looked down at his belt, surprised that he was actually wearing it.

"Well my pager says 911, Emergency Room, curtain three. So I've got to run anyway" House turned and started limping away before stopping abruptly and turning back. "Wait a second. I'm already at curtain three in the emergency room. Which one of you lucky fellows is Josh Lyman?"


	3. Chapter 3

A/N Most of Cuddy's flashback is taken directly from the pilot of the west wing. Aaron Sorkin wrote it, not me. Please don't sue me. I'm just borrowing the characters from West Wing and House and i will put them back when I'm done.

_Flashbacks are in italics._ And now on with the show

Meanwhile in Cuddy's office

Ron Butterfield sat in Cuddy's office and watched her sit behind her large desk making phone calls and ordering people around. He smiled at her, he couldn't help himself. It was so good to see her meet and exceed the potential he had seen in her years ago when she was on the arm of Sam Seaborne. Cuddy hung up the phone and looked at the secret service agent sitting in her office.

"You know, Sam always said he thought you guys couldn't smile. He actually thought it was a rule." Cuddy smiled at him in spite of herself.

"It's not a rule but we do try to avoid it when we can. Thank you for handling all of this so quickly. Mr. Lyman is very important to the president, we appreciate you calling in your best doctors."

"Dr. House is the best. It may take some convincing on my part to get him to actually take the case but his team is on their way right now." Cuddy smirked at Butterfield's confused expression. "Dr. House has a rather specialized practice. He doesn't like to take cases unless he feels they are unique and can't be solved by anyone else."

"This would be a personal favor to the president..."

"Yes, but Dr. house has no desire to serve at the pleasure of the president." Cuddy was interrupted Butterfield

"Excuse me ma'am, by team is trying to get in touch with me." He rose from his chair listening intently to the voice coming from his ear piece and than responded accordingly.

Cuddy used the opportunity to allow her mind to wonder back to 10 years ago. To the night she first met Sam Seaborne. She had taken him home an hour after meeting him which was something she never did, unless of course she was getting paid for it. Even than she never took them to her house. But there was something about Sam- a connection that she felt immediately. She remember the next morning like it was yesterday.

She had been laying in bed smoking pot (one among many things that she did on a regular basis in those days. Sam's beeper went off as he was exiting the shower. She heard the shower turning off and she stared at there pagers, in awe of how much alike they looked.

_"How ya doing, Sam?" Cuddy called._

_"Let me tell you something. The water pressure in here is really impressive." he answered"_

_"I know." She said smiling at him as he walked into the room_

_"You could run hydraulics in there."_

_"Want some?" she said, holding out a joint _

_"I'm fine." He answered with a smirk_

_"I'm wasted."_

_"And probably free of cataracts."_

_"I get that." she laughed, "That's funny."_

_"Thank you."_

_"Oh, wait. I'm sorry." She handed him his pager, "Your message -- your pager went off while you were in the shower. I hit the button because I thought it was mine." He read the pager and Cuddy recited the message. "POTUS in a bicycle accident. Come to the office." Sam started rushing around the room picking up clothes that they had thrown around the room the night before. Cuddy ignored him and continued talking. "I memorized it just in case I erased it on accident." She looked at both of there pager's. "These things look exactly alike. Anyway, like I said, I'm totally baked. But um -- no, it's not like I'm a drug person. I just love pot." _

_"Um, Laurie, I to have to go."_

_"You're kidding me. It's five thirty in the morning." Cuddy was surprised at her disappointment at his leaving_

_"I know this doesn't look good." Sam said gently_

_"Not that good. No."_

_"You know what? I really like you. And if you give me your number, I'd like to call you."_

_"Stay right here" Cuddy lay back down on the bed seductively, "and save yourself a call."_

_"It's not that I don't see the logic in that, but I really gotta go."_

_"Cause POTUS was in a bicycle accident?" Before waiting for an answer Cuddy leaned over a grabbed a piece of paper to write her phone number on._

_"Yup."_

_"Tell your friend, POTUS, he's got a funny name. And he should learn how to ride a bicycle." She kissed him and watched as he walked out of the door_

_"I would, but he's not my friend, he's my boss; and it's not his name, it's his title."_

_"POTUS?" she asked_

_"President of the United States. I'll call you."_

That simple response led to a one of the strangest relationship she had ever been in and that was saying a lot, considering that at the time she had been a 3000 dollar a night call girl. After that first night they became friends. The attraction was there and so was the potential for love. But she was a call girl and he was the deputy communications director and a relationship was impossible. There simple friendship had been used more than once in the year they were friends to try and bring down the president. After she graduated medical school she left Washington DC and changed her name. She had been exposed in DC and she didn't want her reputation following her. So she moved to New Jersey and started a new life. Her only regret in doing this was that she had lost contact with Sam. In her drive to succeed she managed to convince herself that she didn't care that she didn't talk to him anymore. She managed to convince herself that she didn't love him anymore.

"Roger that. Dr. Cuddy?" Agent Butterfield interrupted her thoughts and brought her back to the present. "Dr. Cuddy?" He repeated, "My associated tell me that Dr. House has arrived and agreed to see the patient. His team is on the way."

"After only one page" Cuddy responded, "Your lucky House is a Santos fan. He usually hates politicians."

"Speaking of the president." Butterfield said "He has elected to stay in New Jersey for the time being in order to make sure Josh is ok. We have extra agents on their way. If its all right with you we would like to secure the hospital in order to make it safe for the president. Knowing him he will want to be here by Josh's side."

"Of course Agent Butterfield" Cuddy said, "He must care for Josh quite a bit"

"Yes ma'am. But he will also want to set up a mobile command center. The world doesn't stop running for anyone and the president would feel more comfortable being close to his chief staff. They weren't supposed to return to Washington for a few days anyway so they were already prepared to run things from outside the capital."

"If there is anything I or my staff can do to help please let us know."

"Thank you so much Laurie... i mean Dr. Cuddy" Butterfield blushed slightly at his mistake

"It's alright" Cuddy answered reassuringly.

"I have to get back to work ma'am."

"Of course. Please don't let me keep you."

"Ma'am?"

"Yes, agent Butterfield?"

"Sam is here. I know he would love to see you."

"I don't know about that"

"I do." Agent Butterfield paused wanting to say something more. "I don't think he... he's never forgotten you ma'am." with last statement Agent Butterfield nodded and walked out of the door leaving Cuddy alone in her office and very confused

Up next: Ducklings, the differential diagnosis and Donna


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: The West Wing and House do not belong to me. I'm just playing with them. Imagination is beautiful. Reviews are shiny.

The All Important Human Connection

"You didn't bring the white board!" House shouted to his ducklings when they arrived at Josh Lyman's room. And what the hell took you so long?

"It's not our fault we're late. Chase answered. "You paged us to the ER. When we got there Cuddy told us he was transferred up here."

"Don't you think it's interesting that Cuddy isn't here fawning all over our VIP patient of the week.?" House asked

"Um... No" Foreman answered.

"You only take one patient a week?" asked Josh. He rubbed his head a leaned back. Sam if we don't and I'm mean seriously reform medicine in this country..."

"Yeah I know buddy." Sam padded Josh on the back.

"Ducklings meet Joshua Lyman, White House chief of staff" House pointed to Josh and than to Sam, "and Sam Seaborne, deputy chief of staff. The G-men outside the door and are secret service. Patient and Patients bitch, meet my ducklings."

"I'm not his bitch" Sam answered, defensively waving his hands.

"He's so self loathing" House stage whispered to Josh. Josh just rubbed his head. "You!" House said, pointing at Foreman, "Fetch the white board. We doing the differential in the patient's room so that we all can experience the ever important human connection. Cameron, book the MRI and get a history. Chase, get this man some morphine before he pulls the rest of his hair out." House paused and motioned to Josh. Everyone stopped for a moment and watched Josh rub his head. "Go forth and heal. I'm going to the pharmacy. I need a refill." He shook his Vicodin bottle and limped away

"I'm doctor Cameron, and these are doctors Chase and Foreman." Cameron spoke gently as if she were talking to a child. "Chase is going to hook you up to a morphine drip. You should start to feel better soon. After that we'll get an MRI and your history hopefully that will tell us whats going on. " She got up and walked to the phone in the hallway while Chase prepared to start the IV.

"Wait, is that a needle?" Josh asked

"Thats generally how we do an IV drip." Chase answered

"I'm not good with needle's." Josh looked white as a sheet

"Its ok because five minutes after i hook this up, you won't care anymore." Chase pushed the needle into Josh's arm while Josh looked away. "This is a morphine pump. If you feel any pain push this button and the pump will dispense more morphine."

"Seriously?" Sam interrupted

"The pump monitors the doses so you can't overdose." Chase reassured Sam and Josh, "We find that people actually use less morphine this way than when we use a traditional pump. Let's get you to MRI..." Chase was interrupted by a frantic looking pretty pale blond women.

"Oh my god, Josh look at you. Are you ok? What happened. The president said you blacked out and that they couldn't wake you up. Doctor?" The women turned to Chase. "Are you his doctor? Whats going on. Did he tell you he he was shot 9 years ago and almost died? Did he tell you he's allergic to penicillin? He has a delicate system." The women spoke a mile a minute and Chase wondered how long she could talk before needing to draw breath.

"Donna" Josh interrupted, "I'm fine, everyone is just over reacting" Donna walked over to Josh and sat on the edge of the bed, smoothing his hair down. Josh leaned back, visibly relaxing under her gentle touch.

"They're going to take me to get some tests. It's going to be fine. I promise." Josh and Donna looked at each other, their eyes shining. "I'm Sorry" Josh whispered

"Nothing to be sorry about. Lets get you to those tests so we can get you better." Donna stood up and turned to Chase "I'm coming with you"

"We really can't do that ma'am. It's against hospital policy to have family in the testing areas"

"He's not good in hospitals. You might find that you'll want me there." Donna said

"She's right, you know." Josh spoke smiling, the morphine was kicking in. "I get...um...what to I get Donna?"

"Queasy Josh. You get queasy" Donna answered

"I get queasy."

"In that case we will call you. But I really must insist..." Chase was interrupted by another blond women in a gray suit walking into Josh's room

"I'm afraid that I must insist that you allow Donna to accompany Josh." Everyone turned to look at the resent arrive. Even Josh sat up straighter in his bed.

"Mrs. Santos" Josh said, surprised. "I didn't expect you to come."

"Well I had to make sure you were alright. "Helen Santos answered. "After all if something happened to you how would i torment you for making my husband run for president? I'm Helen Santos" She reached out to shake Chases hand. Chase stood still or a moment looking star-struck. He smiled and finally shook her hand.

"Mrs Santos, its a pleasure to meet you." Chase attempted to be suave and professional. "Of course Miss um" Chase turned to Donna, "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your full name"

"Donatella Moss." Josh answered for her, "You, Dr. Chase with the perfect hair may call her Ms. Moss."

"Ah snap" House stood in the doorway. "Chase" House spoke slowly as if speaking to a small child. He leaned forward and looked him in the eye. "Do you know why this room looks nothing like an MRI?"

"We are on our way." Chase answered

"Now Chase, you didn't answer my question."

"What question?"

"Chase, it's not funny if you are actually this stupid. If you are this stupid it's just sad. MRI NOW!" House shouted and pointed his cane towards the door. Chase rushed the small group out the door until only Sam, House and the first lady remained. House limped towards a chair and sat down.

"What do you think it is?" Sam asked House

"How do you know Lisa Cuddy?" House responded.

"Excuse me?" Sam asked, confused

"She was looking at you from across a crowded room with goo-goo eyes and now she's avoiding the room of a extremely influential patient who could bring great PR to the hospital. People only act that strangely when sex is involved." House surmised

"I honestly don't know what your talking about." Sam said. "I've never met Lisa Cuddy. If I remember the declaration of independence word for word I think I can remember the names of the women I've slept with." Sam's face was beginning to turn red. Not only was the doctor being an ass but he wasn't answering his original question. "What about the time you slept with a call girl?"

"I accidentally slept with a call girl and it almost ten years ago!" Sam shouted and turned towards the newest arrival. "Mr. President, I'm sorry"

"Its ok, it was a cheap shot. How's Josh?" House surprised him self by jumping to his feet when he realized the president was in the room. He winced at the sharp pain in his leg.

"Please sit down" The president said to House when when he realized that House was in pain. House sat down and popped another Vicodin.

"I'm Matt Santos and you haven t told me about Josh yet." Santos' presence took over the room and even House could feel it.

"He's getting an MRI. We should know more after that." House was brief but surprisingly polite. Foreman and Wilson walked into room, struggling with their new white board. House wanted a bigger one and purchased the biggest one he could find that could still be considered portable. Portable was a relative term. It was so large it barely fit through the door.

"House, I can't believe that you thought someone could carry this thing by themselves." Wilson admonished House without looking away from the board that looked like it could topple over any minute.

"Nonsense, Foreman is my big black strong man. You don't fool me, you just wanted to meet the first lady. I know about your secret crush. I saw the magazines Jimmy. It's ok. I learned in rehab that admitting you have a problem is the first step towards recovering."

"Shove it House." Wilson said before looking up directly into the first ladies eyes and dropping his side of the white bored onto his big toe. "Ow, Christ" Wilson yelled. Everyone except House began laughing hysterically. Finally catching a break from the tension that had been building in the room.

"Put it there." House pointed to the adjoining room that was visible through the glass divider.

"What about the all important human connection?" Foreman asked sarcastically.

"I can connect through glass. I'm special. Now go" The two men sighed and carried the white board into the other room.

"Sam. What was the call girls name?" House asked

"Laurie." Sam snapped "What could it possibly matter? House squinted slightly at the name and it slight similarity to another and smiled. There is no way, he thought to himself. She couldn't be...


	5. Chapter 5

A/N thanks for the reviews. You have no idea how good they make me feel. Also just in case you were wondering... the West Wing and House do not belong to me. I'm just borrowing them to appease an overactive imagination. Please don't sue me.

On with the story...

I Used To Know How To Make A Bong Out Of A Potato

AKA Chapter Five

**Josh's Room**

An orderly pushed Josh's wheelchair back into the room, followed by Donna and Cameron who were whispering to each other in hushed tones. Cameron scribbled quickly on her clipboard.

"They're talking about me Sam." Josh shouted "They're talking about me like I'm not even here. Donna apparently thinks I didn't give Dr. Cameron a complete history of my life and medical issues."

"Well considering that you didn't even feel the need to tell us you are deathly allergic to penicillin which by the way the a commonly prescribed drug." House shouted from the next room, "I think we should all be happy that Ms. Moss has decided to take over that aspect of the case." The ducklings looked at House, surprised that he would defend anyone, especially someone he didn't know. "Cameron!" House shouted, trying to get her attention. It was a lost cause because at that moment Cameron was staring at President Santos and seemed frozen in shock.

"Yes Cameron, we all think our hot young Latino president is perfect in everyday but since he is neither single nor dying save the fawning for later and get your ass in here for the differential." Cameron smiled nervously at the president and first lady.

"Please doctor..." Santos smiled at her and motioned to the room next door. "Your boss obviously needs you"

"Yes, sir of course. I'm just um a. Big fan." Cameron walked to the next room. "I don't have a thing to dying people, House was just being..."

"House was being House." The president finished Cameron's statement for her. "I've gathered he's rather unusual and very good at his job."

"Cameron, differential now. And could you make some coffee. Chase brought the coffee maker in but he sucks at it." House stood beside the white board impatiently. Cameron walked into the room and began making coffee. As House went over and closed the door everyone is Josh's room could here Cameron's angry tone...

"He's the President of the United State,, House. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Differential Diagnosis people. What do we know?" The door joining the two room slammed shut. Sam turned to the president.

"Agent Butterfield already cleared secret service needs with the Dean of Medicine." Sam continued. "If I may, I'd like to go talk to her about how to handle the press. They're already sniffing around and I'd like to get a handle on the situation."

"That sounds good Sam" with the president's blessing, Sam left the room in search of the dean of medicine.

"Sir, with all due respect, I appreciate you being here but you need to get back to Washington." Josh said as Donna helped him back into bed. "I've got morphine and Donna, I'll be fine."

"Josh we were going to be away from Washington for the week anyway. It doesn't matter where I am while we are gone." the president answered

"Sir, you went out of town to sure up support for the education bill. It's not like you were on vacation. Josh's right. You should get back." Donna spoke, still glowing from the morphine fueled compliment Josh had given her moments before. Josh looked at Donna lovingly.

"You have pretty hair" Josh said smiling

"Enjoying that morphine, Josh?" The first lady asked

"I used to know how to make a bong out of a potato." Josh answered

"Ok, um well I have a meeting I need to get to in DC but Donna has promised to call with any changes to your condition and I'll be back tomorrow." The first lady smiled Josh trying not to laugh at him.

"The president did good when he married you Mrs. Santos." Josh said, "I'm sorry I screwed up your life by convincing him to run for president."

"You didn't screw up my life Josh, feel better and do what the doctors and Donna tell you to. You have to get better because I think my husbands head might explode if he tried to do his job without you." The first lady patted Josh on the head, kissed her husband good-bye.

"I'm going to walk my wife to the car." The president said exiting the room and not mentioning that the first lady was already being walked to her car by a small army of secret service agents. After he left Josh turned to Donna.

"Come here and lay in bed with me. I miss you." Josh motioned to the small area next to him in bed. "You're teeny tiny, you'll fit, no problem."

"How come you weren't this emotional when they gave you morphine after you were shot?" Donna asked, unsure how to deal with Josh's uncharacteristic public displays of affection.

"Cause i had been shot twice and still in a lot of pain no matter how much morphine they gave me. Besides you weren't my fiancée than. I was still on the whole you can't be in love with her, she's your assistant kick." Josh held out his arms to Donna. "Come on, don't make me beg. Unless that would help. I could beg if that would help."

"You don't have to beg." Donna sat on the bed, kicked her shoes off and lay down with Josh. "I'm scared, Josh" Donna said softy

"Me too Donna."

**Meanwhile on the other side of the glass wall...**

"Differential diagnosis people." House said to the room.

"I can't believe you behaved that way in front of the first lady." Wilson sulked in the corner and rubbed him injured toe.

"And the president" House reminded him gleefully

"You realize I can never show my face in front of them again." Wilson said sadly

"Because you were a frequent visitor to the White House before." Foreman teased Wilson

"Am I on glue?" House asked the room, "I could have sworn I said differential diagnosis a minute ago"

"Josh Lyman, 40, white, from Connecticut." Cameron read from the chart, "Donna says he's been sick for few days..."

"Donna says?" House mocked her, "I know she's you're BFF and all but since she's not a doctor or the patient I don't think we are going to listen to her. What does the patient say his symptoms are?" Cameron shot House a dirty look and looked down at her notes.

"Josh says he's fine and really has to get back to work." Cameron smiled at House, "You think we should send him home?"

"I can't believe I'm asking this" House sighed, "but what does Donna say?"

"Headaches. Stiff joints. He's only complained about it the last few days." Cameron rattled off a few more details while House wrote them on the white board. Foreman pulled the images from the MRI up on his laptop.

"The MRI shows a micro-abscess which could explain the headaches." Foreman joined in the conversation. "Now all we have to do is explain the micro-abscess."

"STD's can cause brain problems." Chase said

"Why would you jump to STD's right away." Cameron looked annoyed.

"Because they work at the White House." Chase answered, "Washington DC is worse than Hollywood when it comes to sleeping around."

"But, they seem so in love." Cameron protested

"Well that Sam guy slept with a call girl ten years ago so anythings possible" House interrupted their bickering, "Test him for STD's and check his crotch"

"He didn't say anything was wrong with his crotch." Cameron looked through the file checking to see if she missed anything. House sighed loudly

"Did you ask him when his girlfriend was in the room?" House said while straining his neck to look inside Josh's room.

"Fiancée." Cameron corrected him

"I don't care." House walked closer to the glass wall dividing the two rooms. "Where did that Sam guy go?

"How do you know all their names already?" Chase sounded annoyed. "You never learn names. You didn't learn by name for a month and a half."

"Actually it only took a month. The last two weeks were just funny" House turned and walked out of the door. "Test him before he drops dead."

"Where are you going?" Wilson shouted, "I'm not done arguing with you yet."

"To find Cuddy" House shouted without looking back.


	6. Chapter 6

Oh my god thank you for the reviews I would respond to them but I can't stop myself from writing this story.

Disclaimer. West Wing and House do not belong to me. Please don't sue me. I borrowed one of the illness from the show because I don't know very much about medicine and I didn't want to be totally off base.

**Somebody Always Finds out**

"House slow down!" Wilson shouted while running to catch up with House. "You gave everyone else an assignment so i assumed mine was to chase you down and attempt to talk you out of whatever it is you're up to" House stopped, leaned towards Wilson and whispered conspiratorially.

"It's a super special secret friendship club thing. I really can't talk about it." House continued to walk towards Cuddy office, forcing Wilson to follow him.

"Than I'm coming with you."

"Don't you have dying people to see?" asked House

"Not for an hour." Wilson answered.

"Cuddy knows Sam."

"House? How DO you know there names already? You're caring more than you usually do."

"Cuddy took one look at that group of people and panicked. But it was more than that. She looked concerned for than. Like she cared about them. But if she does know them than why is she not in the room, hovering like a mother bird?"

"Because she's not Cameron, she's not going to hover like a mother bird."

"No but she would hover like the dean of medicine trying get good press for the hospital." House pressed the button for the elevator. "She knows Sam. There is a history there."

"Why to you care?"

"I don't care. House paused, "I'm interested." They walked into the elevator and House continued his hypothesis with all insane concentration of a conspiracy theorist. "She went to medical school in DC. That must be when she knew him."

"Him?" Wilson asked

"Sam. That's what? Ten years ago? First Bartlet administration. Sam Seaborne was the deputy communication director. Did a lot of speech writing. Cuddy tended bar when she was in school. Said she met a lot of these guys."

"These guys?" Wilson

"Political operatives. And apparently a few members of the presidents chief of staff. Sam.

"So? They met, dated ended badly. It happened millions of times"

"How did you have time to find all of this out? Asked Wilson

"Some of it I looked up on the inter web and the rest I figured out."

"You figured it out?"

"Yes, because I actually am as special as I think I am."

"So basically all of this is because your jealous that Cuddy's talking to a man that she may have had a relationship at some point in the past." It was more of a statement than a question

"We are going because I think Cuddy may have put herself through college and med school as a call girl." House replied

**Meanwhile in Cuddy's Office**

Cuddy sat at her desk trying to breath deeply. Her heart was pounding. Agent Butterfield left her with a pile of information to sort through. She put her face in her hand not bothering to look up when she heard the knock at the door.

"What?" she shouted, silently cursing her new assistant's apparent inability to do her job. The door opened slowly and she looked up to see Sam Seaborne poking him head through the door.

"Hi, sorry to interrupt, there's no one at the desk out front. I'm Sam Seaborne from the white house." Cuddy raised her head slowly to look Sam in the eye.

"Laurie" He smiled the perfect Sam Seaborne smile she remembered and she couldn't help but smile back.

"It's Lisa now. Cuddy. Dr. um Cuddy. Hi Sam" Cuddy laughed and stood up to shake his hand. He took her hand and pulled her into a hug. As he held her, Cuddy felt the last 10 years slip away.

"My god Laurie, look at you. Dean of Medicine at one of the best hospitals in the country." Sam's smile grew and for a second Cuddy felt the last ten year melt away. She felt a familiar pang of regret for what they could have been. There first night and only night together had been full of promise. That was before she found out that he worked in the west wing. It was before he found out that she was a 3000 dollar a night call hooker. A well paid hooker but still a hooker. She was the one to tell him they shouldn't see each other. Someone would find out. In Washington, someone always found out. He served at the pleasure of the president and she had her own ambitions to worry about. She never wanted anybody to find out about how she paid for school. She changed her name and started a new life. But standing there, in his arms she realized that she had never sopped missing him. She blushed when she realized that she had been staring at him. He looked at her with an expression of wonder and before she knew what was happening he pulled her into a kiss. She wrapped her arms around him, returning his kiss.

Neither of them noticed the door opening and House stepping inside with Wilson not far behind. As soon as House saw what was happening he slammed door closed forgetting that Wilson was behind him. The door hit Wilson with a loud thunk forcing Sam and Cuddy to break apart.

"Damn it House." Wilson rubbed the side of his face and glared at House.

"I thought you said you didn't know any Lisa Cuddy?" House pointed at Sam's

"Oh that. I didn't realize you meant thing Lisa Cuddy." Sam pointed at Cuddy and smiled sheepishly.

"Does that ah shucks act really work with congress?" House sneered at Sam.

"Does that misanthropic asshole act really work in this hospital?" Sam responded standing up straighter and taking a step towards House. At that moment the room became alive with strange music as everyone's pagers went off.

They rushed to Josh's room.

"What the hell did you do?" House shouted over the sound of monitors beeping

"We didn't do anything" Chase said, his voice pitched higher than usual. Josh sat in bed convulsing, spitting up blood and foam. Foremen pushed the crash cart over to the side of the bed.

"40 Milligrams larazapam stat. Put him to sleep." Cameron stood behind Josh and intubated him. Foreman pushed a long needle into his lungs in order to drain the fluid that had built up. Everyone held their breath for a moment while they waited Josh the monitors to return to normal.

"What? What's doing this?" Asked Donna with a hand over her mouth. She looked pale and drawn. Her eyes wide with fear.

"I don't know" Admitted House while he limped slowly to the adjoining room. "Come on people. Differential diagnosis." The doctors followed House into the other room. Unlike last time, House left the door open. Not knowing what else to do, Sam and Donna sat down and listen to the differential.

"What do we know?" House asked his team, while standing at the white bored. marker in hand

"It was flash pulmonary edema. We took a liter of fluid off but it's not the lungs, its the heart. There are vegetations blocking the mitral valve." Chase answered. House wrote to word heart on the board and circled the word head aches.

It's not an STD. He tested negative down the line." Said Cameron, "What about lymphoma?" Hearing the word lymphoma caused Donna to jump up and leave the room. Sam knew he should follow her but he couldn't bring himself leave the room. He wanted to hear what the doctors where saying even if he didn't understand a thing.

"Lymphoma wouldn't erupt this suddenly." Wilson answered Cameron's question

"A disease that attacks the brain and the heart." House addressed the group. "Come on Come on we need ideas.

"Strep Viridans can affect the heart." Cuddy spoke up

"Unlikely to affect the brain"

"Patient's friend!" House shouted through the open door. Tell me everything you did in the last week.

"He has a name" Cuddy snapped at House

"And I'm sure you have screamed it many times." House turned back to the white board and circled acid reflux. Sam walked in the room.

"We are gathering up support for the education bill we want to pass in a month." Sam answered

"If you were doing that you would be in Washington." Said Cuddy from the back of the room, "What are you really doing?"

"Telling people about the education bill we want to pass while meeting with various unions and groups supportive to the president." Sam continued

"Your raising money." Cuddy answered the her own question. "A lot 500 dollar a plate dinners and wine and cheese parties." Sam smiled at her, as always in awe of her ability to understand and retain information.

"Never could get anything passed you Laurie" Sam said flirtatiously. The differential paused for a moment while everyone looked at Cuddy and Sam. The obviously knew each other. Why did he call her Laurie?

"Wine and Cheese parties?" House turned to Sam, "Was it sheep cheese? Was it bitter?"

"Some of it. I didn't really eat it." Sam looked at House, trying to understand what cheese had to do with anything.

"Did Josh?" Asked House

"Yeah. Donna's got him on some health food diet at home so he goes a little crazy at the parties if she's not around. Eats everything." Sam was starting to ramble when House interrupted him.

"Brucellosis. He's got Brucellosis." House shouted.

"The antacid he eats like candy made him the perfect host." Cameron finished

"Congratulations Cameron" House said "You have officially proved that you can both retain and repeat information. Get him started on rifampin and doxycycline."

"Will he be ok?" Asked Sam

"If we caught it in time he should be fine." House answered

"And if you didn't?"

"Than we don't know" Cuddy walked over to Sam.

"If he has any family you should call them. We should know either way in the next 24 hours. I'm sorry Sam, i know how close you are." Cuddy took Sam's hand.

"Can I use your office to make a few phone calls?" Sam asked.

"Who are you calling?" asked Cuddy as they made there way back to her office.

"I'm calling the only family Josh has left."


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Dear actual owners of West Wing and House. I'm sorry i borrowed the characters with out asking but I had little choice since this would never actually happen on the show.

A/N: Who do we want to end up with whom? If anyone? And now on the the story...

Just One Story Please

"I'll tell Donna whats going on" Cameron said to House. They stood side by side watching Josh as if it would make the drugs work faster.

"Look at her." House said motioning to Donna, who stood in the hall, watching Josh through the window. Her forehead rested against the window as tears fell silently down her face.

"She loves him." Cameron said.

"Yes just look how lucky they are. It took them seven years of working to together to finally admit how they felt. They finally get together and he's knocking on deaths door." House reached into his pocket and pull out his Vicodin and dry swallowed two pills. "Lucky Lucky Lucky. True love has my heart swelling with joy. They need each other. Its co-dependence. And on the off chance that they have defied what we all know to be true. That love like that doesn't happen. People don't change for each other. And on the off chance" House repeated, "that they do really love each other. Where has it gotten them..?"

"He could be fine."

"He could not be."

"I can't believe you actually read the history that I took from Donna." Cameron smiled at him.

"It's like General Hospital, that file." Cameron's smile grew

"Just tell the patient's fiancée what's going on." House snapped and walked out of the room leaving a slightly dazed Cameron behind him.

House needed to pace. He had been a pacer since he could walk. Cane or no cane sometimes a man just has to pace. Wilson, he thought to himself. I've got to find Wilson.

House rushed towards Wilson's office and tried to open the locked door. House picked up cane and banged the door with it. After a full minute and a half of banging, Wilson unlocked the door and poked his head out.

"What the hell is wrong with you. Get in here." Wilson pulled House into his office and quickly shut the door.

"Dude, you're rolling joints while the secret service in lurking the hallways." House pointed to a small pile of pot on Wilson's desk next to a packet of rolling paper's. "And your doing it all wrong." House sat in Wilson's chair and took over.

"My joints are fine. And the secret service doesn't care about me." Wilson walked over to the door to his terrace and made sure it was locked. House quickly rolled one joint and started on another.

"Paranoia" House teased while attempting to role a joint with one hand. "Must be good stuff."

"I've got a patient who..."

"Can't roll" House finished, "I know." Wilson jumped when they head a knock on the door.

"Stop it House" Wilson whispered frantically.

"I can do it. I can do it. Just give me another minute"

"As much as i would like to support you and your desire to master another skill, you are the one who pointed out that the secret service in walking the hallways. Now put it away!" Wilson stood frozen in place as an angry voice called from his terrace. House and Wilson looked up to find Cuddy staring angrily at them from the window. House stood up and smacked Wilson on the back of the head.

"IDIOT!" House shouted, "You forgot to close the blinds. You are so harshing my buzz dude." House sat back down in Wilson's chair and continued in his attempt to role the joint one handed. Wilson crossed to the door and let Cuddy in.

"It's so great that you remembered to lock the door. It almost negates the fact that you can see a crime being committed right through the window." Cuddy turned to the door, closed the blinds and locked the door. "Are you kidding me with this? The secret service is all over this hospital. I just got one department head out of jail. I really don't want to do that again. The president and the first lady are here along with half of senior staff. These are serious people with important jobs. I would hope that you of all people" Cuddy pointed at Wilson, "would understand the need to act like a grown up for a day or two. And that.." She pointed to House, "is not how you role a joint one handed" Cuddy grabbed the half made joint from House, adjusted the paper and rolled a perfect joint in less than 30 seconds.

"Ok thats too weird. Is it possible we've gotten high without actually smoking. Because I could swear that I just saw the dean of medicine roll a perfect joint with one hand." House looked at Cuddy in awe.

"That actually kind of freaked me out." Wilson stared at Cuddy and quickly gathered the drugs, locking them in a small safe in his desk.

"The secret service just informed me the Bartlet's are on there way from New Hampshire."

"Bartlet is coming here?" House asked betraying his interest.

"Oh my god." Cuddy turned to House, "Do you actually care about a politicians?" Cuddy walked towards House and looked at him strangely. "Or is it more than that?. Are you a fan of president Bartlet? I thought you hated all politicizations. You told me you've never voted."

"He's voted twice." Wilson told Cuddy

"Wilson!" House said warningly

"House, are you getting soft?" Cuddy teased House

"He gave money to both campaigns." Wilson continued, "Ok, he actually borrowed the money from me but I think thats as close as he'll get."

"He wasn't a terrible president." House admitted

"He also read the patient's history today without being forced too." Cuddy said to Wilson as if House wasn't in the room.

"I know, Cameron told me" Wilson answered. "The one supplied by the patient's fiancée. Hardly scientific. Almost like have an interest in people"

"Ladies!" House interrupted, "We have gotten off subject."

"I don't even know the subject is." Wilson said

"I'll tell you what the subject is not..."

"Thats two broad a category. I want to know what the subject is." Cuddy tapped her foot impatiently.

"Is their any chance that you put yourself through school by being-- what I would imagine-- would have to have been a very high priced um call girl." House asked. Cuddy stood tall and crossed her arms contemplating how to answer.

"If I tell you the answer to that question you have to promise not to do or say anything." She looked at both House and Wilson. When she saw them nod in agreement, she answered

"Yes." Wilson looked shocked, but House just nodded.

"Ok." House said.

"OK" Cuddy sighed relieved.

"Cuddy?" House asked, "Tell us one story about being a call girl."

"No" Cuddy repeated

"Come on." House begged

"No"

"What if we kicked Wilson out and you just told me?"

"No!" Cuddy said in a way that made even House want to stop asking

"This is my office House!" Cuddy and House turned to look at Wilson who shrugged and said, "I'm just saying." Wilson looked at House wondering why his friends didn't say more. His reaction was not a House reaction. The idea of House silently contemplating anything made him nervous. They were all pulled from their silent contemplation by the sound of Cuddy's pager.

"The Bartlet's are arriving in five minutes." Cuddy said, reading the message. Apparently Mrs. Bartlet wants to be briefed about Josh's condition as soon as they arrive.

"I'll do it" House stood up and walked out of the room. "And it's Doctor Bartlet, not Mrs. Bartlet" House paused and looked back at Cuddy and Wilson, "And she's a damn good one."


	8. Chapter 8

Those of you who have not seen season one of West Wing must go see it now and see the glory that are Sam and Laurie.

Hospital Lobby

Dr. Cuddy paced nervously in the hospital entrance way. Wilson sat in one of the lounge chair looking first and Cuddy and than at House and back again. He seemed to have given up on trying to control or even understand the situation. House leaned against the wall waiting for the Bartlet's car to pull up. Cameron rushed towards him with Josh's chart.

"Are they here yet?" Asked Cameron excitedly.

"No answered House pulling the chart out of her hand, "Now scram"

"House!" Cameron begged, "Come on."

"Stellar argument, Cameron" House sneered, "Now run along. If you're a good girl I'll let you keep updating the family, which includes them." House motioned to the driveway as a car pulled up and the Bartlet's stepped out. "I'm sure Donna's getting lonely, now go!" House waved Cameron off and limped towards the door. Abigale Bartlet walked into the door ahead of her husband who lingered outside, taking in his surroundings. He held a cane remarkably smiler to House's.

"Dr. House," Abby said nodded a hello and reaching out to take Josh's chart from House. "I can't tell you how glad I was to hear that you took the case."

"Interesting case." House nodded as Abby put on her reading glasses and opened the chart reading aloud. He appreciated her no nonsense style.

"Brucellosis... should have stuck to the diet Donna had him on." House said "You've got him on rifampin and doxycycline?" Abby said, satisfied with what she found in his chart. Should clear his system in a day or two. Any idea if the damage will be permanent?" Abby asked House

"We won't know for a few days." House answered honestly. Heavy silence filled the room.

"Where is he?" The former president spoke for the first time since entering the room. His presence still commanding respect. "Where's my boy?"

Sam watched as Donna sat in a chair next to Josh's bed, holding his hand. She was telling all of the tiny details about there upcoming wedding that he would have never listened to if he was awake. Every once in a while she would lean towards his a whisper in his ear.

"I love you. Wake up for me. We've still got work to do." The tears never stopped falling and he worried she would get dehydrated. Sam stood up swallowed a lump in his throat and let his mind wonder to Laurie. He almost laughed to him self when he thought about how pissed Josh would be if he knew Sam was thinking about Laurie while he lay in a hospital bed. He couldn't watch this again.

"Sam?" He heard President Santos call.

"Sir. I'm sorry I was just... thinking about. You know it doesn't matter. How are you sir?" Sam babbled.

"Alright, considering." the President turned to look at Donna, who seemed to still be in shock at Josh's condition. "Donna? How are you holding up?" the president walked towards her.

"We almost lost him 7 years ago." Donna spoke softly, her eyes never leaving Josh's face. "Did you know that?"

"I read about it. Josh and I weren't close than." Santos said a silent prayer as he walked over to take a closer look at Josh.

"He got through it than. He will pull through now." Former president Bartlet stood in the doorway. "Donna, you know Josh would never leave so much unfinished business behind. He'll come back from this." Bartlet seemed to be saying the last sentence more to himself than Donna.

"Where are the doctors?" Santos asked, looking into the adjoining room and seeing no one.

"Gave Josh some medicine and left." Sam answered, "Said the nurse could page them if we needed anything or had any questions. Probably had other patients to see. They're doctor's, they've got to be busy, right?"

A Duckling Interlude

Chase and Foreman tossed a ball back and forth while simultaneously trying to complete the crossword puzzle they had started earlier in the day. They had given the patient the meds and now all they could do was wait. A few years with House had turned them all into people who wanted a buffer between them and their patients especially during times like now, when they didn't have any answerers to give.

"This coffee is terrible. Who made it. Did you make it? Chase asked while reading over his crossword puzzle.

"It doesn't seem to stop you from drinking it."

"What are you doing?" Cameron asked, interrupting a budding argument.

"Chase is bad at crossword puzzles" Foreman responded, tossing the ball back to Chase who than tossed it to Cameron

"Does anyone think that House, Cuddy and Wilson have risen to a new level of weirdness today?" Asked Caught the ball and tossed it to Foreman without thinking.

"What do you mean?" Asked Chase holding up his hand to get Foreman to throw his the ball.

"You haven't noticed that House has been acting strange? Foreman asked surprised. "Took the case with no bitching before he knew it was interesting." He ignored Chase and tossed the ball back to Cameron.

"Trying to find Cuddy instead of avoiding her." Cameron offered. "Wilson is following House around like a puppy dog. I think they made up." She tossed the ball to Chase who finally caught it after shrieking in surprise.

"Hey," Chase said suddenly, "We've been tossing this ball around for an hour without dropping it!"

"Why did House page you?" Asked Foreman reaching out and catching the ball from Chase and tossing it to Cameron

"He needed Lyman's chart to talk to the Bartlet's" Cameron said excitedly catching the ball. "They just got here."

"And you didn't stick around to meet them?" Foreman asked incredulously

"House wouldn't let me stay." Cameron answered while pouring herself a cup of coffee and tossing the ball back to Foreman.

"I thought you were all bad-ass, take no shit from anyone Cameron." Chase teased her. "How long to you think we could this up?"

"God this coffee is awful." She spit the sip she had taken back out into the cup. Chase laughed.

"Fine." Foreman shouted. "If its so bad than you make it the next round."

"Already on it." Cameron said while pouring the rest of the offending coffee out in the sink and tossing the ball back to Foreman. "Keep what up?"

"How long do you we can keep throwing the ball around without someone dropping it. You think there is some kind of record?" Chase asked while Cameron and Foreman tossed the ball back and forth between them and rolled their eyes.

"Well thats a relief. Cameron is making more coffee while Chase and Foreman attempt to break the world record for lame sports" House said walking in conference room. "For a second I thought you were going to focus your attention of curing the patient."

"House!" said Cameron warningly. "Do you want me to go into Josh's room and watching the meds drip into his IV?"

"No." House answered honestly. "Ever since you poked a hole in Foreman's brain, he makes terrible coffee. I just updated the Bartlet's. More people are arriving every minute. Our patient seems very popular. Cameron, will be answering any questions that they have."

"But I wanted to..." Chase interrupted. Foreman groaned, displeased. Cameron smiled to herself as she put the carafe back on the coffee maker and turned it on. Chase and Foreman continued to bicker and toss the ball around until there pagers went off. Foreman grabbed it off of his belt and read the message out loud.

"President Santos finished his meeting and would like an update on Josh's condition." Everyone stopped and looked at House, waiting for instructions.

"Fine." House relented. "Foreman, Chase go with Cameron. And try not to act like idiots" Foreman tossed the ball of House who caught it in his right hand and beamed Chase in the back of the head

"House!" Chase yelled while rubbing his head

"Don't quit your day job" House yelled back while tossing a few pills into his mouth.


	9. Chapter 9

The characters from the West Wing and CSI do not belong to me. But don't worry I'll play nice with them

One Dinner

Cuddy's office

Cuddy sat in her office with her face in her hands. There is something very wrong with me. She thought to herself. House knew she had been a call girl. Wilson knew. How long would either one of them keep it to themselves? House would let it slip to to someone and Wilson couldn't keep his mouth shut to save his life, or any of his marriages. Information this juicy never stayed a secret. She wanted to scream but since dean's of medicine really can't sit alone if their offices and scream she growled softly and let her head fall onto her desk with a loud thunk. She heard her door being slammed open. Only one person had the balls to open her office door like that. She didn't bother looking up before shouted.

"House, get the hell out of my office I don't want to deal with you right now." Cuddy shouted.

"Well than, I'm extremely glad that I'm not Dr. House." Sam walked towards Cuddy. She could feel her whole body tense up. "Laurie,"

"Sam." Cuddy interrupted

"Sorry, Lisa. I keep forgetting. New name." He smiled at her

"This isn't about my name Sam. And you know it."

"We should have dinner."

"We can't Sam, you know that."

"We can't eat food together?"

"Sam! You know what I mean."

"I've missed you. Missed our lunches, missed our talks..."

"It was a long time ago. I'm not the same person I was than."

"You have a new job. And I couldn't be prouder. But you are still you. Smart, kind, able to put any overblown ego in its place." Sam paused, "Is it that guy, House. Are you and he... Is that why you don't want to have dinner with me?"

"House has nothing to do with this. I don't want anyone to know about my past. Its bad enough that Wilson and House know."

"You don't want anyone to know but you told Wilson and House?" Sam was starting to look angry and a little confused.

"House figured it out."

"How could he figure out that you used to be a call girl. You were never busted. You don't have a record."

"Thats not how he figures things out Sam. He just figures them out. Its what he gets paid to do and he's very good at it." Cuddy crossed her arms, "And not for nothing Sam but he's not the only one who could. People get paid a lot of money to dig up dirt on people with your job.

"Yes they do. But your not breaking any laws. The past is the past." Sam reached out a grabbed Cuddy's hand. "I was engaged for a while last year."

"Just the thing every girl wants to hear." Cuddy said sarcastically

"But we were talking about wedding plans and i couldn't get my mind off of you." Sam said. "I think about what we could have had. Don't you?"

"Sometimes." Cuddy said softly. She cleared her throat, "So before. You kissed me."

"You noticed." Sam smiled and leaned in to kiss her. They broke apart a few minutes later.

"You just did it again."

"You mean with the kissing?" Sam said smiling, "I made a decision. I think you'll find I'll be doing a lot of that. I like to think I've grown since we last spent time together"

"You live in a different state." Cuddy said.

"I thought we moved on from you trying to tell me the reasons that we can't date." Sam said dryly

"I'm being serious. We live in different states. And you work all the time."

"New intervention called a car. And a crazy new fangled thing call an airplane" Sam helped Cuddy to her feet only to sit down again and pull Cuddy into his lap. "Besides you work all the time too."

"Sam..." Cuddy said distracted by the feeling of Sam giving her tiny kisses on her ear lobe.

"Just think about it. One dinner." Sam kissed her again. "One dinner."

"You aren't afraid to be seen with me?" Cuddy asked

"I would be honored to be seen with you." Sam looked at her and she felt herself relax

"One dinner" Cuddy agreed. She leaned in to kiss him again, only to be interrupted by her phone ringing.

ICU waiting room

Cameron, Chase and Foreman walked into the waiting room to update everyone on his condition. The truth was they didn't have much to say. They could give them statistics about recovery, and tell them Josh's vital signs. They could say, sure we cured the Brucellosis but he could die anyway. But they couldn't tell them the one thing they really wanted to know. The ducklings walked in to the waiting room, momentarily shocked by what they saw. The President stood in the corner, talking quietly on his cell phone while the first lady paced up and down the length of the room. The former first lady was seated re-reading her own copy of Josh's chart and taking notes. The former president just sat and watched the scene, looking amused.

"Mr. President," Foreman held his hand out to Bartlet. Bartlet took his hand and shook it warmly.

"I'm no longer the president, You don't have to call me that. I'm Jed Bartlet but I'm guessing you know that already."

"Yes, Sir." Foreman answered smiling wildly. Santos closed his cell phone.

"Whats the update on Josh's condition?" Santos asked quickly.

"His system should be clear of Brucellosis within the next 12 hours. His vital signs are improving." Foreman answered.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry," interrupted Cameron, "Where's Donna?"

"We couldn't get her to leave Josh's side." The first lady sighed. She won't even let go of his hand."

"Please excuse me." Cameron said softly, suddenly feeling overwhelming empathy for Donna. "I'm going to go find her. She should be updated on his condition." With that Cameron ran out of the door to find Donna, not wanting her to have to be alone.

Josh's Room

Cameron arrived in Josh's room to find Donna sleeping in her chair. Donna had pulled the chair as close to the bed as possible. Her head rested next to Josh's hand. Cameron looked at the couple and noticed with surprise that Josh's hand seemed to be stroking her hair. Cameron walked close to get a better look at him. She pulled out her pen light preparing open his eyes and check his pupils when she realized that she didn't have to. Josh looked at her with the most sadly soulful eyes she had ever seen. Cameron's mouth hung open. She was about to ask him how he was when she heard him trying to cough and realized he was trying to breath on his own.

"Oh, um relax" Cameron felt silly, "You have a tube down your throat, choking is normal." She moved to detach the machine, "When I say, now, exhale as fast as you can." Cameron grabbed the tube, "Now" Josh exhaled and Cameron pulled the tube out of his throat. Donna awoke just in time to see Josh break into a coughing fit. Donna looked at Josh and than Cameron

"I thought you said he would be out for at least another ten to twelve hours" Donna said surprised.

"I'm remarkable in many ways" Josh answered horsely before breaking into another coughing fit.

"I need a nurse" Cameron shouted into the hallway. She placed the oxygen mask over his face. "We have to run more tests. Check organ function, another MRI..." Cameron rattled off the names of a few more tests while looking at Josh's vital signs with surprise. He was doing far better than they had had any right to hope for. "I have to page House" Cameron smiled as she watched Donna lean over to kiss Josh on the lips

House's office

House was quickly loosing interest in the little red ball he was throwing against the wall. Cuddy was a call girl, he mused. Well that explains... it actually explained nothing as far as House was concerned. Maybe all the low cut blouses but that was it. He was far more interested in the kiss. Cuddy was kissing some guy in her office. A guy that she spent the first half of the day trying to avoid. He tracked her down and kissed her. It was like something out of a sappy romantic comedy. He couldn't imagination Cuddy falling for something like that. At least he hoped he couldn't, but the more he thought about it the more confused he became.

Wilson walked out onto his balcony holding a container of food.

"Your eating pink pasta." House said

"Penne a la Vodka." Wilson corrected. House tried to grab the fork but Wilson maneuvered it away just in time. "I asked you if you wanted food and you said no."

"I wasn't hungry than. Come on, let me have a bite." House looked at Wilson, making his eye wide and lower lip stick out.

"Fine" Wilson relented. "You're lucky I made enough for both of us." Wilson walked back into his office and grabbed the other plate he had already made for himself.

"He has perfect hair." House shouted to Wilson

"Who, Chase?" Wilson walked back out onto the balcony

"No, Mr all American, I went to Princeton and Harvard and I work at the white house." House pouted, " Did you bring me anything to drink?"

"I did not bring you anything to drink, House. I am not a waiter. There is no Wine list." Wilson said drinking the water he had brought for himself

"Good, i wanted scotch anyway" House got up and limped inside to grab the bottle he kept in his desk.

"House?" Wilson called, "are you drinking scotch because Sam Seaborne has perfect hair?"

"I don't need a reason to drink scotch." House carried the bottle onto the balcony with two glasses. He poured a small glass for Wilson and a huge one for himself.

"House, it's 3:30."

"Yeah but I figured out what was killing the President's chief of staff and besides I've been awake for 46 hours" House defended the size of his drink.

"Lyman only got here 12 hours ago"

"I didn't say I was working for all of it. There may have been a trip to a strip club in there somewhere."

"You went to a strip club before coming to work?" Wilson asked unbelieving.

"Oh relax I didn't drink. They have a great buffet" House picked up his drink and held it up to toast.

"Here's to call girls." House and Wilson clicked glasses. They were about to drink when House's pager went off. He looked at it. "Damn, it never fails"

"Something wrong with your patient?" Wilson asked, concerned

"He's awake." House answered

"Isn't that, how do I put this." Wilson paused "good?"

"Yes, Waking up so fast is a good sign. Means he's strong and his body is fighting the infection. And of course the less time spent on a ventilator, the better. On the other hand if he waited ten minutes I could have had my drink. Now we've got to go look at the kid" House carried his drink inside and put it on the table. He sighed and leaned into the drink whispered. "Soon my pet, Soon."

"House, you get more disturbing everyday." Wilson sighed, holding the door open for House.

"And I thought you would never notice." House answered walking into the hallway. "Come on, if we hurry I'll have time embarrass you in front of the first lady AND the president."


	10. Chapter 10

House belongs to Fox, West Wing belongs to NBC. If any of you are reading this, yo what's up. I'm about to tell people that I'm not affiliated with you in anyway, shape or form. I'm borrowing these characters and the world they live in for a little bit. I'll shine them up and give them back you as soon as I'm done.

I Need the Room

Josh's Room

Josh lay in bed propped up on pillows while Donna fed him ice chips. Cameron wrote some notes in the chart while triple checking his stats to make sure she had it right. Only 12 hours on the treatment and already most of the brucellosis had cleared his system.

"I'm Doctor House and I'll be playing your attending physician this earning." House burst through the door and grabbing Josh's chart out of Cameron's hands. "The part of love sick doctor will be played by Cameron. You can play the deathly ill patient who miraculously recovers. Chase can be the guy with prefect hair since Sam Seaborne is busy pretending he's in a romantic comedy movie starring Meg Ryan." House took a deep breath and realized everyone was looking at him like he was crazy. The thought made him smile. "You" House said pointing to Foreman, "will be the token black guy. Fortunately this isn't an action film so you won't die in the first ten minutes. Donna of course will be the long suffering betrothed to the power behind the throne.

"I'm sorry," Josh interrupted. "Am I hallucinating? Because that happened when I was shot and it took me a while to figure that out. So if this isn't real, just let me know."

"You shouldn't be talking. Doctor Cameron, over there, just took a tube out of your throat." House said

"What's next?" Josh asked. House respected his desire to get to the point and so complied with his request.

"My ducklings run a bunch of tests that you wouldn't fully understand even if i spent the next four days explaining them to you."

"Fair assessment" Josh joked

"12 more hours on the juice" House pointed to Josh's IV. "Two weeks of oral antibiotics and if you promise to sick to the diets Donna puts you on, you can leave by the end of the week." The ducklings looked at House in surprise.

"Hey" House defended the comment. "He can't even remember that he's allergic to penicillin. She's the only reason he's still alive. Secret to a long life Josh. Hot women and boring cheese"

"Thank you doctor House." Donna said rising to shake his hand but House just turned towards his ducklings and said,

"Who will give me their first born in exchange for being able to tell Santos and Bartlet that Josh is going to be ok." House clapped his hands and was not at all surprised when Chase's hand shot into the air, without hesitating. House smirked, "Well even I have to respect that, take the other two with you in case you fuck up." With that the ducklings left and House went to go pull Wilson out of hiding.

Meanwhile is Cuddy's Office

In less than ten minutes both Sam and Cuddy's suit jackets lay in a pile next to her desk. Their shirts tails were hanging out and had lost a shoe. Her hair was a mess and Sam's mouth was smugged with her lipstick.

He picked her up and sat her on the desk. She pulled him to her by his tie. He leaned her back, managing to knock half of the items on her desk off. The phone, which had not stopped ringing in 10 minutes was finally silenced when it too fell to the floor with a loud crash.

Ironically it was the silence following the ringing that brought Cuddy back into focus. The only reason someone would keep calling for ten minutes uninterrupted was if there was an emergency. She wasn't on call that night but she still chided herself for getting caught up in the moment for the second time that day. She pushed Sam off of her.

"My pager is vibrating." Cuddy blushed when she realized what House would do with a comment about vibrating. Than she blushed redder when she realized she was thinking about House after making out with Sam. Distractingly, she read her pager. "Josh's awake." Cuddy announced in surprise. "I'll take you to him." Cuddy settled back into role of hospital administrator and efficiently led Sam to Josh's room.

Josh's Room ten minutes later

The hallway outside of Josh's room looked like meeting in the Oval office. The president and Mrs. Santos walked ahead of the group but when they reached the door, they stood aside and let the Bartlet's enter first.

"My god Josh," Jed Bartlet said smiling warmly, happy to see Josh awake. "All this because you couldn't stick to a diet."

"Sir" Josh attempted to sit up straighter in his bed. "I didn't realize you came. No one told me. And could someone please point out this could have happened to anyone and not just a person with my diet."

"Please Josh, relax." Abby Bartlet walked over to Josh, fluffing his pillows and feeling his forehead. "You had us so worried Josh. I'm going to send you home with an exorcise, diet and vitamin regimen.

"Ok please tell me I hallucinated that." Josh turned to Donna, "Dr. House upped the morphine.

"Nope" Donna answered, "and I'm going to make you stick to it too. We're going to have a long time together Josh. I'm going to make sure of it."

"Abby and i are going to spend the next few days here." Jed told Josh and Donna. "Maybe even until you get discharged. I've got a speaking engagement at Princeton later this week and we wanted some time away anyway. Spending time with the grandkids is great but I'd like to have a conversation that didn't revolve around Sponge Bob or something called the OC. Sam said he'd explain it to me. I figured he would know since he's from California."

"That's great sir." Josh answered, "since its probably the only chance I'm going to have a non wedding related conversation this week." Donna slapped him playfully and than stood up when she realized who else was in the room.

"I think you'll find you'll have some interesting conversations this week. We still need you to help us run the country, even if its from a hospital bed.." Santos spoke in a manner befitting the president, even in casual conversation. Mrs. Santos smacked his arm lightly.

"Josh we're so happy you're going to be ok" Helen Santos crossed to room and delicately tried to hug Josh.

"Thank you Mrs Santos." Josh said, "Sir, you haven't been here this whole time have you?"

"Josh, you were sick, we didn't know if you were going to live. Of course I've been here the entire time." Santos spoke compassionately

"Sir, we're trying to pass an education bill. We're trying to change the country. You can't take a day off from that." Josh's voice was rising.

"We have phones, faxes, e-mail, blackberry's and a plane at our disposal." Santos responded. "I couldn't take a day away from it all if i tried. We could afford for me to take a day and be here while my chief of staff fought for his life. I didn't even miss a meeting."

"But we agree that you and Sam need to get on Air force one and fly back to DC tonight." Josh asked anxiously

"I had the same thought" Santos agreed. "I'll call you tonight. The secret service put in a secure phone line. Can i tell Lou you're taking calls?"

"Yeah, but you might want to warn her that I'm still on a wee little bit of morphine." Josh answered

"Jed, if you and Abby aren't busy you should come back to the hotel for dinner before we fly back to DC. I've got a few questions and ideas I want to run by you. The two men said there good-byes. Jed promised to return the next day for a nice conversation about the newest nation parks and maybe a game of chess. Their wives followed them out of the room quietly laughing at their husbands. When the door closed, Josh turned to Donna, "Can you call my assistant have her bring over my laptop and my backpack. You probably need yours too"

"Already on it" Donna answered, already on the phone with his assistant. The ducklings watched, stunned at how quickly the still very sick man and shell shocked co-working flew back into action.

"Where is Sam?" Josh asked suddenly. "He stole my blackberry and i need to get it back

"Here," Sam called from the hallway. "Hey, welcome back to the world. You look like crap." Sam walked over and stood at the side of Josh's bed. Cuddy followed him into the room but stood near the doorway, almost afraid to enter. "Seriously buddy, you need a vacation" Sam padded Josh on the back and laughed nervously.

"Yeah, well, I'm dancing on the inside." Josh replied dryly. Sam smiled. Josh noticed that he seemed suspiciously happy and he doubted it had anything to do is his almost miraculous recovery. Josh looked at the women Sam walked into the room with. She was standing in the doorway. She looked so familiar but he could place her. It was when she looked up and smiled at him sheepishly that he realized who she was.

"Sam?" Josh said slowly staring at Laurie. "How did you meeting with the dean of Medicine go?"

"it went fine Josh." Sam looked like a kid who had been caught opening his Christmas gifts a few days early.

"Um, Yeah" Josh paused for a moment before loudly announcing, "I'm going to need the room for a minute. Sam you stay."

"What the hell does that mean?" Chase asked

"It means we leave." Donna answered ushering them out the door. "Josh and Sam need the room."


	11. Chapter 11

House and West Wing do not belong to me. And if you think that they do than I don't even know what to say.

**When you assume...**

The hallway outside of Josh's room

Donna stood in the hallway outside of Josh's room pressing buttons on her blackberry. She failed to notice that the four doctor's she recently rushed out of the room were now staring at her, waiting for her to farther explain what, "Josh needing the room" meant. Chase was the first to speak,

"What are they doing in there?" Chase smiled flirtatiously as if that would help him get an answer. Donna just rolled her eyes, she was used to people doing what ever they needed to to get something from her.

"I don't know what they're doing." Donna answered. "I know that they needed the room."

"Come on. New Policy? Big scandle? Somebody bombed us? We bombed someone? Come on" Chase whined like a small child

"Do you really think I would tell you if it was any of those things?" Donna asked

"You know something." Cuddy said. Donna smiled at her.

"Well with the expression on Josh's face combined with the fact that Josh has been out of contact with the white house for a while my best guess would be that Sam's in a little trouble" As if on cue, Josh's yelled,

"Are you kidding me? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Yeah, I saw that coming." House said walking up to the group with Wilson tagging along behind him. Everyone quieted themselves in order to better hear what was rapidly becoming an interesting conversation in the other room. They could here Sam muttering something to Josh but had no trouble clearly hearing Josh.

"I don't care thats it's Laurie, Sam. Go out with her. Have babies with her. I like Laurie, you know that. Don't make this about her. It's not about her. It's about the fact that while you were supposed to be keeping the president on track you were wooing your ex-girlfriend."

"I wasn't wooing her." Sam protested

"Air force one is wheels up in 2 hours. Make sure you're on it. That's it. I needed you Sam and you dropped the ball. Send Donna back in." As the door opened, everyone in the hall tried to pretend that they were doing anything but listening to the argument. Sam looked shamed. He walked up to Cuddy and touched her on the shoulder.

"I need to talk with you for a second." Sam asked her softly. As they walked away, House smiled to himself. Well that took care of that...

Princeton Plainsboro Hospital

House walked into work in a good mood. He was on time for work for the first time in two years and was actually humming along to the music on his i pod. His good mood lasted all of ten minutes when he saw a deliveryman struggling to carry two giant vases full of roses towards Cuddy's office. And they weren't red roses. Obviously this Sam character knew better than that. They were sterling roses which House, happened to know were Cuddy's favorite. House was momentarily distracted by the fact that he actually knew what Cuddy's favorite flowers were. This moment of distraction was overcome by the overwhelming need to get rid of the roses before Cuddy saw them.

"You," House pointed his cane at the suddenly frightened looking delivery man. "Are those flowers for Dr. Lisa Cuddy?"

"Yes, is she in? She doesn't seem to have a secretary."

"I'll give you $100 to bring them to my office upstairs." House said reaching for his wallet.

"Sorry dude, I'm really not allowed to do that." The man answered.

"What if i told you that I sent the flowers and I changed my mind and want to give them to my girlfriend in person."

"Look, even if I did believe you..."

"I'll make it $500." House said firmly.

"Upstairs you said?" The man answered walking towards the elevator. "And I don't take checks."

Wilson's Office

Wilson sat at his desk, finally able to breath easily. The last two days had been stressful for him. The leader of the free world running around the hospital made him nervous, not to mention the guy with perfect hair. To top it off, House had risen to a new level of Houseness which was a situation that made Wilson very tired.

He was torn. He knew how House felt about Cuddy. Part of him wanted his friend to go for it knowing that given the chance, they might actually make it work. The other part of him didn't want to see the almost inevitable explosion that would come at the end of House fighting the president's deputy chief of staff for a women. Not just any women, but Cuddy. He was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of his office door being thrown open. He was not surprised to find House standing in his doorway.

"I need $500." House said

"I'm not even going to ask why." Wilson rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I don't have the cash on me."

"Well than we better get to an ATM, cause Brian here doesn't take checks." House explained

"My name is Steve.." The deliveryman said meekly

"Nobody cares Brian." House said dismissively, "Put the flowers on his desk and we'll take you to the ATM."

"House" Wilson said suspiciously. What did you do? And what am I supposed to do with 2 dozen sterling roses? Wait a second, aren't those Cuddy's favorite flowers? What did you do?"

"I'm simply giving this man a leg up in the world. If he wants to pay me back by giving me two dozen roses well i think that's great. You really shouldn't judge people like that." House turned to the deliveryman, watching him bring the flowers to Wilson's desk "Ignore him Brian. I think your roses are nice."

"Fine" Wilson sighed as he pulled out his wallet, "Lets go to the ATM. Even though I still don't know what I'm supposed to do with all these flowers." The trio walked to the elevator. "Seriously, what am I going to do with 24 flowers?"

"This is a hospital." House said, "Send them to the Cancer ward. Give them to Cameron, she loves to get weepy over meaningless quasi romantic gestures. Throw them away for all I care.

"As long as you realize that the price for the money is telling me whats going on." Wilson said punching the elevator button.

"Dare to dream." House answered

Sorry its short but I worked for 12 hours today so...


	12. Chapter 12

House and West Wing do not belong to me. If you try to sue me all you will find is debt.

Visitors

Princeton Planesboro Hospital later that same day...

House worked clinic duty with a smile that day. He was about to break his own record for most patients seen in a month and for some reason the thought made him happy. Cuddy would be happy. She would congratulate him and he would make a snide remark. In other words, life was back to normal. On top of that he managed to squash Sam Seaborne like a bug.

Yes, life was good. Well, maybe not good but bearable. House handed nurse Brenda his last chart and announced his freedom,

"I'm off like a prom dress!" House shouted to no one in particular.

"House!" He heard Cuddy shout. "Your not done yet."

"I've seen more clinic patients today that most doctors do in a week." House kept walking towards the elevator, ignoring Cuddy's menacing look.

"House, when i said your ass was mine I meant it."

"Geez. You're testy when you don't get any hot White House action." House knew immediately that he had gone to far. Cuddy's eyes narrowed and he could swear that he saw tears forming. Of course. Sam had probably promised to call and there was a good chance he had gotten side tracked when he returned to work. That was probably why he sent the flowers. House almost felt bad but instead he smiled. Cuddy put her hands on her hips.

"Get your ass upstairs and check on Josh Lyman. Than come back down here and do another 3 hours in the clinic. If you don't do it I'll make sure you never get another Vicodin as long as you live." Cuddy stepped towards him, "You may be one of the best doctor's in the country but I'm one of the most powerful hospital administrators. I can take you down if I choose to. Now go do your job." With that Cuddy turned around and stalked back to her office. House stared at her for a moment before getting in the elevator to check on Josh.

Meanwhile...

Wilson carried the flowers to the pediatric cancer ward. He had a 14 year old patient who's drama of the week was that she had never gotten flowers from a boy. He may not be able to cure her but at least he could give her a dozen roses. We brought the other dozen to coma guy. If House was going to steal Cuddy's flowers, Wilson was going to make sure he had a reminder during his daily lunch in coma guy's room. Wilson sat the vase down when he thought about something House told him. He looked through the dozen roses to find the most perfect blossom. When he did, he pulled it out of the vase and walked determinedly to find Cameron. Yes it was lame but she was the kind of girl who liked lame.

He found her in the lab running tests. Over the last few years he felt that they developed a kinship. While it was true that there entire friendship was based on their dealings with House, Wilson had come to depend on her kind words and glances. She was always able to make him believe he made the right decision. Until he ratted out House. Even he was using the term rat to describe his actions. While House ended up in rehab instead of jail and had both apologized for his transgressions and forgiving him for his betrayal, Cameron still seemed to be holding a grudge. Her grudge wasn't based on hatred or bitchiness. It seemed to come from disappointment. She was disappointed in him and he couldn't stand it anymore. Wilson stood in the doorway, unsure of what to say.

"Um, I, I, I..." Wilson stuttered, "I don't like whats happened to us."

"Us?" Cameron asked, looking at the single rose he held.

"We were friends. I don't have a lot of friends." Wilson looked down, suddenly ashamed.

"Wilson, we're still friends."

"Things have gotten weird. You seem..."

"Mad?" Cameron finished his sentence.

"I was going to say, disappointed." Wilson answered, "But apparently mad is more appropriate."

"I'm not mad." Cameron sighed, "Maybe disappointed but I'm not angry. You did it for him. I know that now. You did it to try and save him." She smiled sadly, "But people don't change, Wilson."

"You sound like him." Wilson said softy, watching Cameron stare at the floor. He walked towards her. He didn't know what else to say. Instead of speaking he lay the flower in her lap and wordlessly walked away.

Josh's Room

House walked up to Josh's room and opened the door to find a tall women standing over Josh, tucking extra blankets around him. She looked like a 1950's movie star. She easily held the attention of the room and obviously had Josh wrapped around her little finger. Donna watched the seen and shared a smile with the red headed man that sat on the other side of Josh's bed holding what appeared to be a two year old child in his lap.

"We usually don't allow babies in the hospital." House announced, "And I don't think he needs three blankets."

"He has a delicate system" Donna and the tall women said simultaneously.

"I've heard." House answered dryly.

"And Willow is healthy." the red headed man added pointing to the little girl, "She's not going to get Josh sick."

"I would be more worried about your child getting ill..." House said

"Oh please," the tall women interrupted. The secret service cleared out half the floor and the rooms a scrubbed with bleach everyday. This place is cleaner than a plastic bubble."

"They're actually called clean rooms" House corrected

"I notice you're not disagreeing with my assessment of the germ situation." she smiled at him and House found himself being intently charmed by her against his will.

"I'm doctor House"

"CJ Cregg." she walked over and shook his hand, "That's Danny Concannon and Willow" She pointed to her husband and child. "I don't know how to thank you for curing Josh."

"Thank me by not thanking me." House answered, walking over to Josh's chart. His ducklings had been checking on Josh every hour on the hour. He noticed that their charting had become even more anal retentive. Cameron's notes ran so long that she added extra pages. He was so engrossed by Cameron's in depth and often inane notes that he failed to notice the child walking towards him until she tugged on his pants. He jumped in surprise before looking down on the child.

"BOO!" Willow shouted before laughing and running into the hallway.

"WILLOW CLAUDIA CREGG CONCANNON GET BACK HERE NOW." CJ shouted. Willow stopped running and slowly backed up into the room.

"Willow, the hospital has a time out corner too. You said you would be good if we let you come visit uncle Josh."

"Christ" House uninterrupted, "She's two. She just figured out object permanence. She doesn't understand time yet. How long to you think she can behave for?"

"Well thank you Dr. Spock but you don't seem to be the time of guy to have kids so why don't you keep your mouth shut." CJ spoke evenly and stared him down. Surprisingly House remanded quiet and continued to look through Josh's chart.

"So, Doc?" Josh asked, "How does everything look?"

"Fine Josh. And don't call me doc." House looked at Josh. "If you feel the need to call me something, call me House."

"House!" Willow pointed at House, "Not a house. Not a house." House looked at her and tilted his head, starting to laugh in spite of himself. The child grew angry at this response and crossed her arms.

"Serwious baby. Not a joke." Willow shouted walking towards House. Her angry expression made House laugh even louder causing everyone else in the room to join him. Willow let out a high pitched scream until everyone stopped laughing and stared at her. She stamped her feet and pointed at House again,

"Say sowwy." Willow said. House looked at her confused. "Say sowwy" she repeated her face getting red. When House realized she was gearing up for another ear splitting scream he bent forwards towards her and quickly said,

"Sorry. I'm sorry."

"Ok." Willow said looking up at House with big eyes, "Fwends" it was a statement, not a question. She reached up and wrapped her tiny hand around his finger. He looked at her suddenly unable to speak. She pulled him to a pile of books and picked one up, handing it too him.

"Weed" Willow said and House assumed she meant read. He may have been jaded but even he didn't think that a two year old would be asking him for pot. He looked at the book she handed him.

"Eloise" He read aloud. He shrugged, "Got to be better than clinic duty." He said before sitting down. Willow pushed the other chair closer to him and proceeded to climb into it, leaning over so that her head blocked the pages.

"Plaza." Willow said pointing at an illustration of the famous hotel.

"You, obviously have very good taste." Said House. Willow looked at him a giggled before settling down in her chair to hear House read her the story.

Later that Night in the West Wing of the White House

Sam sat in his office trying to focus on the 800 pages of briefing memos sitting on his desk. He always knew Josh's job was harder than he thought but he had no idea what it really entailed until he jumped into it head first. He hoped, not for the first time that day that Josh would be back at the White House sooner than the week and a half predicted. He couldn't focus.

Laurie was disappointed that Sam had to leave before taking her to dinner but she hadn't seemed mad. She understood the dedication required in his job. It was one of the many reasons he believed her to be the girl for him. He left with a promise to return in a week to meet with people in NY and more importantly, to take her to dinner.

He sent Laurie two dozen roses and a personal note that morning and she still hadn't responded. He thought that she would at least be touched that remember her favorite flower almost a decade later. But apparently she was angrier than she let on. Sam sighed and than pounded his desk with his fist. Well, he thought to himself, if two dozen flowers and a note didn't work I'll send her three dozen roses and a sonnet. Sam smiled that the brilliance of his idea before pulling a pen from his pocket and beginning to write.

A/N. Willows words are intentionally misspelled in an attempt to capture the sound of the baby talk that two year olds use.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Sorry this took so long. Stupid job getting in the way of writing fanfiction. Stupid, stupid job.

Disclaimer: House and West Wing do not belong to me. But my birthday is coming up...

House new case is sort of based on a patient from Grey's Anatomy. And Sam's sonnet is Because She Would Ask Me Why I Loved Her by Christopher Brennan (1870-1932).

Josh's Room 2 Hours after House Left the Clinic

Cuddy walked into Josh's room and for a moment, she thought she was hallucinating. House sat in a chair next to Josh's bed and read from a large copy of Eloise. A little girl sat in the chair next to him and watched him with rapt attention.

"Dr House, I need to see you in the hallway." Cuddy said ignoring the other people on the room.

"I'm in the middle of something, Dr. Barbie." House continued reading to Willow.

"Barbie?" Willow asked.

"Thanks Cuddy, I've lost my audience. Now I'm going to have to start over." House turned back to the beginning of the book.

"House, I let you out of clinic duty so you could check on your patient, not so you could have story time."

"Yeah but if I checked on my patient I would have had to be back in the clinic in a half an hour at the most. Story time gives me at least an hour. If I take an early lunch I'm done with my daily clinic hours by 10:30 in the morning.

"Get your but down to the clinic now, House."

"Can't" House answered

"Excuse me?" Cuddy asked surprised

"New case. 16 year old girl being flown in by helicopter from New York. Unexplained seizures."

"And she gets in...?"

"Cameron's going to page me." House, "Oh I almost forgot. Dr. Cuddy I would like to to meet Willow parents. The tall girl who I'm betting is great at basketball is CJ Cregg. Carrot top over there is Danny Concannon. He's won a Pulitzer prizes.

"Two" Danny interrupted.

"Two," House corrected himself. "Sorry Danny."

"Don't worry about it Greg." Danny answered. Cuddy looked at Danny and than back at House. The only people who called House Greg, were his parents and Stacy.

"I'm glad you've made friends House but..." Cuddy was interrupted by the sound of House's pager beeping annoyingly.

"Well shucks Cuddy. Looks like I have to go." House turned to Willow and gave her a High Five. "Catch you of the flip side Willow."

Josh's Room 3:00 AM

Josh sat up in bed that night. His bed was covered in piles of paper. His laptop was open on the side table. He was making notes in the budget appropriations bill when he saw House walk by the window.

"Hey. Hey Dr House." Josh called. House stopped and stood outside the door for a moment. Usually in this situation he would pretend he didn't hear and run away. But his pacing was getting him nowhere. Besides if he turned up the guy's morphine drip maybe he could get some information about Sam.

"How can I help you" House sighed

"Donna left and I'm working." Josh paused, "I don't feel like working right now."

"With the amount of drugs you're on, I'm surprised you can even read." House pulled up a chair to sit down next to Josh's bed.

"I don't think I really need to pain medication. I'm not in pain.

"That because you're on pain medication. Wait till you heal a little more. Pain management is the only occasion in which I err on the side of caution." House pulled over the other chair with his cane and propped up his leg. House sighed and absentmindedly rubbed his leg.

"I give up" Josh said. He stacked up his loose notes closed his computer.

"It is three in the morning. And technically you're still suffering from a life threatening disease." House looked around the room and noticed piles of gifts and Cards. He whistled. "Looks like you made out well."

"It's not get well stuff" Josh explains. "Its predatory. People want favors. People want jobs, hell a lot of people want my job. Its like the president is going to come and visit me. See a bottle of 20 year old scotch and card and say, you know who would make a great new chief of staff? Harry from the DNC.

"You have Scotch?" House interrupted.

"Yeah, its in a black box by the door." Josh pointed, "But if you want to good stuff its in here." Josh reach into the side table and pulled out of bottle of Johnny Walker Red Label. "Thank you very much CJ and Danny."

"I thought you had a delicate system?" House mocked Josh while he poured himself a glass.

"I'm actually doing just fine on the morphine drip. But you looked like you could use a drink."

"Thank you." House said sipped his scotch.

"What are you doing here this late?" Josh asked, "New case?"

"Girl with unexplained seizures. She's a mathlete."

"A math what?" Josh asked taking a small sip of scotch.

"A Mathlete. Like athlete but for math."

"Seriously? What else is wrong with her?"

"You mean besides being a mathlete who on occasion shakes uncontrollably?" House asked poking through a fruit basket, looking for something to eat.

"I guess that's enough." Josh looked at House, "Is there anything to eat that didn't come from a tree in this room?

"Granola bar" House held up two bars. He tossed one to Josh and proceeded to take the wrapper off.

"What happens if you don't figure out whats wrong with her?" Josh asked, instantly feeling foolish.

"What usually happens professor."

"How are you going to get your mojo working without your white board?" Josh asked, looking at the adjoining room.

"I've got a smaller one in my office." House paused and looked at his shiny new white board. Josh's case was the only one they used it for so far. He sipped his drink and contemplated Josh. "Tell me about Sam." House said sudden;y deciding n the direct approach.

"Oh Sam, Sam, Sam. He's my Deputy. He's my go to guy."

"No one is only a go to guy."

"Why do you care about Sam" Josh asked, "You don't strike me as the type of guy who get interested in people very often. Desires yes. But not people."

"I'm concerned for a friend."

"Ah" Josh leaned back. Suddenly, he realized what this was about. "You like Laurie." It was a statement, not a question.

"You don't beat around the bush do you?"

"Again, you don't seem like the type of guy that appreciates small talk."

"You learn how to read people while dealing with congress?" House asked

"The only things congress taught me are how to beg and how to threaten." Josh smiled and poured himself a glass of scotch. He held his glass up to toast, "What the hell, right?" They clicked glasses and drank.

An Hour of Drunken Talking later...

"And you know what else?" Josh asked House, slurring his words.

"What else?" House asked, pouring himself another glass.

"I had to beg him to come and work for Santos. I literally had to fly out to California and beg him. Its service to the president. Who turns that down? Who even has to think about that?"

"I might not jump at the chance."

"Besides you." Josh answered reaching for his glass. House reached over and grabbed the glass from his hand. "I'm going to have to cut you off. A glass and half and you're already falling down drunk."

"Morphine." Josh pointed at his drip frantically. "It's not my fault. Give me my scotch. CJ gave it to me, not you."

"I'm going to have to pull rank here."

"I'm one of the most powerful men in the country." Josh protested. He made one last effort to grab the glass from House's hand. He missed by a few feet and ended up falling out of bed, sprawled on the floor.

"Told you." House stood over Josh and smirked.

"Help me up. Donna's going to kill me. She can always tell when I've been drinking." House helped Josh back into bed and checked his IV. House pulled the covers over Josh. "Thanks." Josh said sighing, "Since you were asking. What Sam really needs is a kick in the head" At that moment his current case became clear within seconds. He pulled out his cell phone and called Foreman.

"What" Foreman answered tiredly

"Did math girl hit her head within the last week?

"What? Why do you..." House waited impatiently for Foreman to catch on.

"Come on Foreman. If I wanted someone to not know how hitting ones head could cause seizures i would have call Chase or Cameron. You know, someone who's not a neurologist."

"I have to check to history."

"Well call Chase and Cameron and have them meet us in the room next to Josh's"

"House, we can't meet in a patient's room in the middle of the night.

"Technically its early morning. Don't worry, we won't wake him up. A hammer to the head wouldn't wake him up at this point.

"House, what did you do?"

"Not telling. Just get your ass here now. I want to use the big board.

6:30 AM Princeton Plainsborro Hospital

Once his team arrived it took them less than an hour to confirm House's suspicions. She had hit her head a few days ago and for some reason didn't feel it was important enough to mention to her doctors. She said,

"It was just a little bump"

"Say, you're a doctor! Me too!" House was getting annoyed by the combination of impending hangover, lack of sleep and annoying teenagers. "That little bump burst an aneurysm in your brain. And if we don't get you into surgery within a few hours, you will die or end up a vegetable." The girl began to cry.

"I didn't want to miss the out of town competition." The girl cried harder. "Don't worry. We are going to suck that extra blood out of your brain, clip the vain and you will be fine. And if your very very lucky they won't kick you out of mathlete's for being stupid." House turned and walked out leaving his team to get an MRI and find a Neurosurgeon.

He walked towards Cuddy's office. If Josh was being honest last night it meant that Sam was not the type to give up easily. House needed to get to Cuddy's office before she did in order to intercept whatever ridiculous romantic gesture Sam offered today.

He was almost disappointed when he saw the flowers. He expected him to be more creative, even if he was one of the busiest men in America. He almost started to laugh, until he saw the note attached to the bouquet.

Dear LC,

If questioning would make us wise

No eyes would ever gaze in eyes;

If all our tale were told in speech

No mouths would wander each to each.

Were spirits free from mortal mesh

And love not bound in hearts of flesh

No aching breasts would yearn to meet

And find their ecstasy complete.

For who is there that lives and knows

The secret powers by which he grows?

Were knowledge all, what were our need

To thrill and faint and sweetly bleed?

Then seek not, sweet, the "If" and "Why"

I love you now until I die.

For I must love because I live

And life in me is what you give.

Love Always SS

"Oh crap" House said to himself as he gathered up the flowers and card. "Defiantly can not let her see this..."


	14. Chapter 14

House and West Wing do not belong to me. I'm just having fun. Please don't sue me or anything

Thoughts are _Italicized_

House Makes A Friend

Princeton Plainsborro Hospital

House hurried as fast as his cane could carry him. He ditched the vases along the way and tucked a bouquet under each arm. He held the sonnet in his hand. A Sonnet? Are you kidding me? Who writes sonnets? Who does he think he is?

He opened House's door without knocking and flew in.

"Help me hide these flowers." House said breathlessly.

"Again, House?" Wilson asked, "Again?"

"He wrote her a sonnet." House sat down

"Oh for Gods sake just tell that you like her."

"Apparently i need to write a sonnet." House reached for Wilson's coffee and downed half of it in one gulp. "This coffee is good"

"You don't need to sound so surprised." Wilson reached for his coffee but House held it just out of reach.

"It's interesting."

"My coffee is interesting?"

"You make terrible coffee. Food you can do but for some reason you just can't make good coffee." House took a sip, "And this is good coffee" He took another sip, "And somehow familiar." At this statement, Wilson got suddenly pale and House smiled.

"Familiar?"

"Cameron made you coffee." House said triumphantly. "Why would Cameron be making you coffee?"

"No reason."

"In your coffee maker. She would have had to have been in your office. Long enough to want coffee.

"She was up all night. I doubt theres going to be a minute today that she won't want coffee."

"In your office long enough to tell you that she was up all night. And she felt comfortable enough with you to tell you that your coffee sucks."

"House, my coffee doesn't suck"

"Yes it does. And stop interrupting my train of thought."

"Do you want me to get your white board for you?"

"Wilson. What did you do?

"What do you mean?"

"Oh my god you didn't?" House put his hand over his mouth, unsure whether to laugh outside or shudder in horror.

"Did what?"

"You gave Cameron those flowers from yesterday."

"Not all of them"

"You stole flowers and than gave them to Cameron?"

"You stole them. I paid five hundred dollars."

"You like her."

"You like Cuddy"

"Shut up"

"No you shut up"

"You gave her a single rose." House burst out laughing, "Next your going to write a sonnet."

"I hear its the way to get the girl" House looked like he had been smacked in the face. They were both silent for a moment.

"You're a doctor for Gods sake. Get the girl her own flowers. The single rosebud is for romance novels and high school girls." House walked out of the room. Leaving the flower and holding the sonnet in his hand

House's Office Six Hours Later

"You are out of your mind!" The former first lady shouted at House while she stormed through his office doors. Until she walked in House had been sleeping, blissfully unaware of the impending hangover waking would bring.

"Excuse me?" House asked groggily. He automatically reach for his bottle of Vicodin before looking into the angry face of Abby Bartlet. Her stare forced him to replace the bottle on his desk.

"You got Josh Lyman drunk. And we are talking about someone who doesn't do well with alcohol under the best of circumstances. He's already on morphine. You're taking him off of it by the way." She crossed her arms and stared at him. "Who brought the alcohol?"

"Golly Mrs. B. I just can't rat on my friends?" House said in a high pitched voice.

"Do not mock me Gregory" She narrowed her eyes at him and House was over come by an unreasonable amount of fear.

"It was CJ and Danny."

"Thank you." She turned and left the room, leaving House sitting opened mouthed and confused.

Josh's Room

"You got me in trouble with the first lady!" House whined.

"I'm sorry. She has ways" Josh said

"And you didn't tell me that Sam was a writer"

"Speech writer."

"Oh no. Not just speeches. Sonnets."

"House loves Laurie" Josh said in a sing song voice.

"Thats it. I'm taking you off the morphine. If you're very very lucky I'll let you have some nice pain pills." House took him off the drip and made a note in his chart for non-narcotic pain medication.

"Hey things could always get worse." Josh reasoned.

"Yes. I feel so much better. Leave the fatalistic snarky comments to me."

"Mrs. Bartlet went to go yell at CJ and Danny" Josh offered casually.

"So, what you're saying is, that things could get a lot worse."

"This is what I'm saying" They both nodded

Hospital Cafeteria

"He really is a very good doctor." Cameron attempted to reassure Donna. "He's also an ass." They sat at a small table and drank their coffee, "It's his way of bonding." Donna sighed.

"At least there in trouble with Mrs. Bartlet. She can be scary when she wants"

"Excuse me?"

"She already went to go talk to them."

"House too?" Cameron asked

"House too" Donna answered.

"I'm sorry but I really need to see that." Cameron and Donna grabbed there coffees and ran out the door.

Josh Room

"Did we miss it? Did we miss it" Donna and Cameron ran into the room

"I don't know what you're talking about." House said not looking at them. He and Josh had started playing blackjack with the deck of cards that CJ and Danny had given him, along with the scotch.

"You're in trouble with the first lady." Cameron said gleefully.

"Technically she's the former first lady"

"What going on?" Chase asked as he and Foreman joined the growing crowd in Josh's room.

"House got in trouble with the first lady" Cameron answered

"What are you doing here?" House asked Grouchily, "Our patient is in Surgery. She's practically on her way to the Mathlympics. That's usually when i stop treating the patient"

"New Patient" Foreman answered. "Cuddy got in trouble with the first lady because you got Josh drunk. She says your ass is hers. Seems pretty pissed"

"I better go and talk to her." House walked to the door before turning around, "Chase and Foreman move the white board back downstairs. I hate working small." With that he was off the see Cuddy.

"You know. I got in trouble with the first lady too." Josh spoke from his bed.

"Josh" Donna said softly, "She took felt your forehead to see if you were warm and asked if you wanted any tea.

"But first she yelled at me" Josh said defensively.

"I know baby." Donna sat on his bed and gave him a hug and a soft kiss. "I know"

"Is there really such a thing as Mathlympics?" Asked Chase.

"I don't know" Answered Chase

"You could google it" Cameron said. Foreman and Chase looked at here strangely and went to move the white board.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own the West Wing or House. Please don't sue me. I only want to play with the characters because I love them so much. The teams new case is taken from an episode of House (Much praise to those who figure out which one). The phrase (and title) "Stamp her Down" (which pretty much means to grab a gal and kiss her) comes from Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. And I don't own that either.

Stamp Her Down

The White House

Sam sat in his office mournfully looking at the mountain of paper work on his desk. Some of the piles were at least three feet high. With Josh gone, all his work fell to Sam. In the past few days Sam realized what Josh's job actually entailed. Truth be told, Josh was doing the majority of his job from his hospital bed but there was still work to be done in addition to his own job. For the forth time that day Sam reached for the phone and dialed the now familiar number for Josh's room at Princeton Plainsboro Hospital.

"Josh Lyman"

"When are you coming back?" Sam asked

"No hello and how are you? I almost died"

"I don't know how you do this job. I'm losing my mind."

"I'm not going to be back full time for at least another week. And thats only if I sneak out"

"Josh, I need help. Do you want me to beg? Because i can do begging."

"Stop channeling my mother, Sam. It's freaking me out."

"Seriously though, I need help. Lou won't listen to me."

"That's because you're trying to run her department. Even I don't try to do that."

"But apparently you run everything else! I can't do this" Sam's tone was approaching whining.

"It's ok. I sent you someone to help."

"Donna?"

"No. I did not send my fiancée to help you do my job."

"Didn't want to get in trouble with the first lady?" Teased Sam

"I already got in trouble with the former first lady today. I don't need to get into trouble with the current first lady for stealing her chief of staff. Besides, Donna's staying in NJ until we can go back to DC together."

"Hey, have you seen Laurie?"

"Once or twice. And we call her Cuddy."

"We?"

"Everyone here. In the hospital."

"Did she get the flowers?"

"And the Sonnet?" Josh teased him before realizing his mistake and shutting his mouth

"How do you know about that? Did she tell you?"

"I have to go. Doctors here. Got to do some tests" Josh stammered. He hung up the phone before he realized he hadn't told Sam who he was sending to help. Oh well, he thought to himself. Let him be surprised.

Cuddy's Office

House took a deep breath and knocked on Cuddy's door.

"Come in" he heard a voice call and he opened the door.

"You wanted to see me?" House asked

"It never occurred to me that you might actually show up." Cuddy looked surprised.

"Wanted to take a look at the fun bags. Besides," House paused, "Mrs. Bartlet is a scary women"

"Is that your way of telling me that you feel some connection to your actions and Mrs. Bartlet scaring the hell out of half the people in this hospital." Cuddy crossed her arms and looked House in the eye. To her surprise he nodded slightly and looked down at his shoes.

"I'm... you know."

"Sorry?" Cuddy finished his sentence when she realized he was having trouble actually saying it to her.

"Yeah" House answered. He shoved his hand in his pocket and lightly touched the Sonnet that Sam had written for Cuddy.

"House, are you alright?"

"Yeah, my shoulder hurts a little."

"If you used your cane on the correct side..."

"I know, I know" House said as he walked slowly out of Cuddy's office. "I have to go. New patient." House looked at Cuddy again. He seemed to be contemplating her.

"House?" Cuddy asked softly

"I..." House paused and looked deeply into Cuddy's eyes, "Nothing. I have to go"

House's Conference Room

This is what I'm talking about" House said, writing on his gigantic white board. "And they say size doesn't matter."

"No, they really don't" Cameron said slyly to House

"Oh snap." House said, "PMS? Or id you just not get any flowers today?"

"Flowers?" Cameron's face flushed scarlet and House turned back towards the board, satisfied.

"Differential diagnosis people."

"39 year old, white male, presenting with chest pains and blacking out." Foreman read from the file.

"If this is just a heart attack I'm going to be pretty pissed."

"ER ruled out heart attack, stroke and panic attack. Apparently he seemed pretty freaked out." Chase offered.

"Oh the ER. So much time and money, so few people." House said sarcastically, "Redo the tests. What else?"

"Abnormal heart rhythm. White form showed P-R variability." Cameron said, "Sick sinus syndrome?"

"Heart sometimes beats too fast, sometimes too slow." House considered, "Could cause the episode. Do a stress test and an echo cardiogram." With that, the ducklings gathered their things and left the office.

"Dr. Cameron" Wilson called from his office. They looked in and saw Wilson sitting behind his desk. "Can I see you for a second."

"I'll meet up with you later." Cameron said quickly before heading into Wilson's office. The boys went on their way. As soon as they were out of sight, Cameron shut the door and walked over to Wilson. He stood up to meet her with a handful of flowers he had been hiding behind his desk. This time he had bought them himself, specifically with her in mind. Cameron looked at the purple orchids and then back at Wilson. She smiled brightly and before either of them could take a breath, they were kissing. He sat on his desk and pulled Cameron towards him. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew his door was unlocked but he couldn't stop kissing her. She leaned towards him. Both worried that if they pulled away they might never get the chance again. They didn't even break apart when the door opened and House poked his head in. For once in his life, House remained silent. He smiled at the couple and locked Wilson's office for him. _ Ok, thats it. If Wilson can do it, I can do it. I just have to go and stamp her down. _House turned, with new determination walked to Cuddy's office.


	16. Chapter 16

Don't own House or West Wing.

Cuddy's Office

House burst through the door of Cuddy's office and ran up to her desk. She was on the phone and barely looked up when he walked in. She stuck up her finger to tell House to hold on a minute. Instead of doing what she wanted, he hung up the phone for her and kissed full on the mouth. She responded almost in spite of herself. He was more forceful than Sam, but she liked that. His face was scratchy but she didn't care. She stood up to get a better angle. They both groaned when House's pager went off. She was the one who broke the kiss. He would have been happy to ignore the beeping.

"If it doesn't say 911, I'll let you ignore the page." Cuddy was breathless and House was smiling. He looked down.

"Damn." House swore

"911?"

"Yeah. Diner tonight at eight, I'll pick you up." House turned and limped towards the elevator. Cuddy sat back down in her chair, dazed at the romance novel her life had become.

House office (conference area)

"What the hell did you do?" House walked towards the white board and picked up a marker.

"We didn't do anything!" Chase squeaked.

"Could somebody not completely useless answer my question"

"Headache, vomiting. And he collapsed" Foreman said as House wrote the new symptoms on the board.

"Where's Cameron?" House asked suddenly.

"Wilson pulled her in on a consult an hour ago." Chase answered, "She said she would meet up with us later."

"How do you know it was a consult?" House asked.

"What else would it be for?" Foreman asked

"Go knock on Wilson's terrace door."

"Why his terrace door? Chase asked, "The front door is closer and I don't have to jump a wall."

"Because I'm betting that Wilson forgot to close those blinds." House said. Chase and Foreman looked up, intrigued. They both jumped to their feet and ran to the terrace, jumping the wall and slapping each other to get a better view of through the window. They both blushed bright red at the sight of Wilson sitting in his office chair shirtless. Cameron was straddling Wilson, wearing only his dark blue dress shirt. They were both glowing with post coital bliss and suddenly Foreman and Chase felt guilty about interrupting this intensely private moment. They backed away calmly and quietly until Chase bumped into plant stand, causing it to fall over into the door to Wilson's office. Both Wilson and Cameron looked up quickly. Instead of running, Foreman and Chase froze, unable to move. Cameron's buttoned the over sized shirt she wore and calmly walked towards the terrace door. She opened it and stuck her head out.

"Chase, Foreman. We're kind off in the middle of something. Tell House I'll be back in an hour or so. He owes me. I've done his clinic duty for the last two days." The boys could hear Wilson muttering something from inside the office. "Apparently we're going to need two hours." Cameron smiled at them before closing the door and locking it. She closed the blinds and locked the door behind her.

"I'm glad I put my pants back on before they decided to play spy." Wilson said with a smile, pulling Cameron back towards him.

"Wasted effort, since I plan to have them back off in under five seconds.

House's Office (Conference Area)

Chase and Foreman walked back into the office. They were both still red and embarrassed.

"Cameron said..." Chase began

"Yeah, thanks I heard her" House said while walking towards the walk that divided House and Wilson's office. He picked up his cane and began pounding on the wall. "DYING PATIENT TRUMPS GETTING LAID" House shouted. He kept pounding until he realized that more than ten minutes had gone by. He put his cane down. "FINE BUT AT LEAST MAKE IT A QUICKY, WE BOTH KNOW CAMERON COULDEN"T DEAL WITH THE GUILT OF KILLING SOMEONE" House walked back towards the board. Both Foreman and Chase were surprised that he had given up so easily. After all, ten minutes of screaming and yelling was giving up easy for House. House began to write and ask questions.

"Dying patient people. What do we know."

"Normal EKG" Chase offered.

"Normal doesn't help right now. I need abnormal." House said

"Means its not Sick Sinus Syndrome." Chase said defensively

"Yeah, I got that. Good thing we did the tests before putting the pacemaker in. What was he doing before he blacked out?"

"Said he was just sitting in bed." Foreman said, reading the chart.

"Claimed he was sitting in bed. Where was he found after he blacked out?" House asked

"In his room" Foreman said slowly.

"How far away from his bed?" House asked

"We don't know. Why does it matter?" asked Chase.

"He's too stable to pass out while laying quietly in bed. So either he's gotten much worse or he's lying about what he was doing. If he's lying about that than who knows what else he's lying about." House got up and walked to his office door, "Come on kids, grab a buddy. It's field trip time!" House feigned excitement.

"You're going to see a patient?" asked Chase and Foreman simultaneously.

"Got to keep them guessing. Clearly I've become far too routine."

40 minutes later. House office.

Cameron and Wilson sat nervously at the table waiting for the team to return. Cameron told Wilson that he didn't have to wait with her but he stayed with her, not wanting to have to face House alone later and not wanting to leave Cameron just yet. She had already invited him over to her apartment for that night, saying that they should, "talk." she had said it with a small flirtatious smile. He told her he wanted to cook for her. He reached out and grabbed her hand. She smiled at him thankfully and he leaned forward to kiss her again.

"Hey you crazy kids. Remember to leave room for the holy ghost!" House called from the doorway. Chase and Foreman stood behind him, smirking.

"I'm Jewish House." Wilson reminded him. "We don't do that whole holy ghost thing."

"So does that mean you can get it on at any hour of any day. No matter where you are?" House asked

"Yeah, pretty much. You just summed up one of the worlds oldest religions in one sentence." Wilson answered

"You're the one who played the Jew card." House sneered

"The Jew card?" Wilson asked

"Maybe we should just get back to the differential." Cameron interrupted them.

"Now you care about the dying patient?" House asked, "You didn't care before when you were on your booty call."

"It wasn't a booty call!" Cameron said

"So it's serious?" House asked. Cameron and Wilson both flushed bright red. House stared both of them down until the room became painfully uncomfortable. Suddenly House smiled and walked to the white board. "Differential diagnosis people"

"Headaches suggest a neurological problem. Acoustic neuroma. Brain tumor could cause the dizziness, could theoretically mess with the whole body."

"Thank god I hired a neurologist" House said while writing brain tumor followed by a question mark on the board, "MRI the moron's brain, and in case you were confused I'm talking about the patients brain, not Chase's" Chase looked miserable as the ducklings walked out the door. As soon as they were out of ear shot, Wilson turned to House.

"I slept with Cameron, twice"

"I kissed Cuddy and asked her on a date."

"I owe Cameron 50 bucks."

"You made a bet about Cuddy and I kissing?" House asked

"Actually the bet was whether or not you would ask her out on a date. I said fear trumps lust every time. But Cameron said love trumps fear so..."

"Love?" House's eyebrows shot up to his hairline.

Cuddy's Office

Cuddy sat at he desk, contemplating House and wondering what she would wear on the date that night when her phone rang. She desperately wanted to ignore it but it wasn't in her nature or job title to ignore anything,

"Hello" She said into the phone.

"Hi, It's Sam, Sam Seaborne"

"You didn't have to give me your full name, I recognized you're voice"

"Listen, I know you're mad at me."

"I'm not mad at you"

"You're not?" Sam sounded relieved and than confused. "Than why haven't you called me"

"Well, not to play games but you said you would call me. When I didn't hear from you..."

"What about the flowers?"

"What flowers?"

"The 4 dozen sterling roses I've sent you over the last 2 days."

"I love sterling roses" Cuddy interrupted

"I know. That's why I was surprised when I didn't here from you. And not for nothing but that sonnet took me the better part of 2 days. And I'm supposed to be trying to change the world, not staying up all night and writing love poems." Sam sounded frustrated.

"Where did you send these flowers?"

"And sonnet" Sam reminded her.

"And sonnet." Cuddy repeated.

"To your office. You told me you spend most of your time there"

"Damn it! I'll call you back later" Cuddy slammed down her phone before waiting for a response and ran out of the door to find House.


	17. Chapter 17

The west wing and House do not belong to me. I'm writing for fun only please don't sue me.

The Differential followed by The Differential

Princeton Plainsboro Hospital

"Alright. We've got to explain P-R variability, syncope, headaches, and low sugar." House stood at the white board writing.

"Low sugar is classic TB." Cameron said.

"Plant a PPD and induce a sputum." House said dismissing his ducklings with a wave of his hand. It was in that moment that Cuddy burst through the door looking ready to kill.

"House, your ass is mine" Cuddy shouted. The ducklings froze unable to look away. House tried with his might to keep his mouth shut and let the comment go but he couldn't help himself.

"You know it is, baby" He blew a kiss and tried to look cute.

"I'm going to give you a chance to tell me the truth." Cuddy crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him, "What did you do?"

"Can't talk now." House answered, "I'm in the middle of a differential diagnosis."

"Looks like they were getting ready to leave."

"No, no. They were just stretching. Get the blood flowing. Sit down." House picked up the marker and began writing on the board. "What else causes low CSF sugar?"

"I thought we said it was TB?" Chase asked.

"It's not TB. He has no other symptoms. And you" House pointed at Chase, "are off the list."

"What list?"

"The list of people I don't hate today." House answered. He looked at the bored and wrote the words _the list_. "This is why we need a big board, lots of room for the list and the differential." He underlined words, beneath that he created two columns. He wrote the words hate in one column and don't hate in the other column. In the don't hate column he wrote the names, Cuddy and Wilson. Under that he wrote 2nd string followed by the names Cameron and Foreman. "See Chase. You're not anywhere on the list

"2nd String" Said Foreman, disappointed.

"Excuse me." Cuddy shouted, "What about the dying patient who needs you're immediate attention."

"Low CSF sugar level. Discuss." House said

"High insulin levels in his blood would cause low CSF sugar levels." Cameron said.

"Do you any idea how high his insulin level would have to be the make his blood sugar this low?" Foreman asked.

"Ok, very high insulin level in his blood would cause low CSF sugar."

"Insulin levels are normal." Chase announced, looking at the chart. "Checked daily. Always normal."

"They're fluctuating. We need to check more than once a day."

"What else would cause these symptoms?" House asked. "Think out side the box."

"The only other thing I can think off is a tumor." Cameron offered. "But the CT and MRI were normal. So it can't be a tumor"

"Any other ideas?" House asked the room. "No? That just leaves tumor." House got up and walked to the door. "Come on kiddies. We're going hunting." House walked out of the room, brushing by Cuddy and stopping for a moment to breath in her sent. The ducklings turned and followed House. Cuddy mused at how well trained they were. She smiled in spite of herself and followed the group.

The White House

CJ Cregg walked into the White House, dressed head to toe in Prada. She hadn't been back since her Jed Bartlet's last day in office. After eight years in the White House she wasn't very sad to leave. She got married and had a baby. She had a dream job that allowed her plenty of time off the take care of her child. When Josh first asked her to pitch in for two weeks, she laughed in his face. She had sworn that she would never let work get in the way of her family again and than the President called. The President called and asked her to serve. Even in the short term it was an honor to be asked and difficult to turn down. Ironically, it was her husband, Danny who told her to do it. They would stay at Donna's old apartment until could Josh went back to work. She signed in and picked up her new ID card. She walked to the west wing and asked the first person she saw,

"Excuse me, could you tell me where Sam Seaborne's office is?" CJ asked a young women holding a huge box of files. _Ah, an intern, _CJ though, taking a moment to remember those long ago days.

"Down the hall to the left."

"Thanks." CJ walked to Sam's office. When she got close to his office, she could here him pounding the wall. It was a habit common among the senior staff of the west wing.

"Sam, I've come to rescue you" CJ knocked on the door. She heard a loud crash

"Hold on a minute." Sam called

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Sam opened the door and looked rumpled.

"Sam, whens the last time you went home."

"I don't know" Sam answered honestly.

"Do you have another suit?"

"My assistant went to the dry cleaners to pick up the one I wore yesterday."

"Good. That's good." CJ started going through the most recent memos, "Ok. This is doable. Change into the other suit and we'll have senior staff 20 minutes."

"That soon? What time is it?" Sam asked taking the suit from out of breath assistant. "You didn't have to run." Sam said.

"It's a good thing she did." CJ said. "This way you have time to shave."

Patient's Room

The group walked into the hospital room. The patient was sleeping. House reached out and shook the patient awake.

"You have a tumor or TB!" House announced to the patient. "So we are going to poke you for a bit. And see if we can't get something to poke back. How does that sound?" The patient looked at House and squinted.

"Who the hell are you" he asked

"I'm Dr. House and I'll be saving your life today."

"You want to... Poke me?"

"Chase plant the PPD. The rest of you, gather around while I tell you a tale" House lowered his voice until he sounded like he was reciting a bed time story. "Once upon a time, there lived a teeny, tiny tumor. It was so tiny that no one could see it. This made the little tumor very sad. Like all life, it wants attention."

"Nesidioblastoma!" Cameron said

"It you want to get technical. An abnormal growth in the insulin-secreting glands of the pancreas. Messing with insulin production. And our tests."

"How do we fix something we can't find?" asked Chase.

"I'm a leaf on the wind" House answered, "Watch how I soar."

"What" Cameron, Chase and Foreman said, confused

"How do you know the wind is blowing?" House asked, "You can't see it"

"You look for effects." Foreman answered

"A leaf on the wind" Cameron repeated the phrase and smiled, "Watch how I soar." She paused, before saying, "We need to make the wind blow. We need to poke it."

"How do you poke a tumor" asked Chase.

"Inject the pancreas with calcium. If the tumor has created too many beta cell, his blood sugar will drop, proving the presents of a tumor." House sounded bored.

"If we give the surgeon proof, he'll do the surgery." Foreman said

"Inject the calcium to confirm the tumor than open him up and yank it out." House said, "He'll be fine."

"Excellent." Cuddy said, speaking for the first time since coming into the patients room. "Now we have a chance to talk about what an immature ass you are. My office NOW!"


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: Written on Sudefed. Also, House and West Wing do not belong to me. Even though I love them and treat them as my own. The New Yorker is not mine either.

Cuddy's Office.

House walked silently behind Cuddy and into her office. She paced silently for a few minutes before she spoke.

"You get one chance to explain this." She said quietly.

"I'm sorry."

"You'll have to do better than that.

"I love you" House stared out the window. The sky was a perfect blue. His heart pounded in his ears. She didn't speak. He stood still, waiting for what felt like hours and still she did not speak. He reached into his pocket and pulled out Sam's sonnet. He handed it to her. "I stole it because I could never write something like that for you." He walked out of her office without looking back.

House Office

Danny Concanon walked up to House's office and docked quietly. He could see House's head resting on his desk. For a moment, Danny thought House was sleeping. That was before he saw House raise his fist and pound the desk repeatedly. Danny knocked louder.

"Come in if your coming in!" House shouted, "I'm not getting up to let you in"

"I'm sorry to interrupt." Danny walked in, "I'd wanted to talk to you about something but you look busy so... I'm sorry but are you ok?"

"Yes" House said dryly, "This is my happy face."

"You need a drink?" Danny said.

"Yes I do." House reached under his desk and pulled out a bottle. "Empty. Sad"

"Let me buy you a drink" Danny said suddenly.

"Off the record?" House asked

"I'm not really a reporter anymore."

"Than what did you want to talk to me about? Because I know it wasn't to buy me a drink."

"I'm writing a new series for The New Yorker." Danny said. "I want to interview you. Totally anonymous. I profile a new person every month. We've had former congressmen, an astronaut. We sit down and talk about your life. What you think and why. I'm trying to get to the core of what makes us human.

"You think people are interested in that?"

"I'm pretty good. And people are interesting"

"People are not interesting."

"No they're not. But you are."

"Yeah, not going to happen."

"I figured but it doesn't hurt to ask."

"It could hurt, I've got a pretty big cane and I know how to use it."

"That's why I'm going to buy you alcohol. That way even if you hit me, I'll be drunk and won't care. Come on." Danny walked towards the door. House grabbed his Vicodin and Cane and followed Danny out the door.

Four Hours Later At The Local Dive Bar

"Your wife is hot" House said before finishing his beer in one gulp.

"Yes she is. Which is one of the many reasons I married her" Danny looked down down at his vibrating cell phone, "Speak of the devil" He smile and answered the phone, "One second" he whispered to House.

House watched Danny walk away. He noticed how he tilted is head and smiled when he was talking to his wife. House let his head fall and slam on the counter. So this is what love is really like. Apparently, it makes you feel like crap all the time. No, that wasn't true. For the last few days he felt... Elated. Lighter. And he didn't think it was just the hunt. Why had it taken him so long to realize how he felt? It was her. It had always been her. And now he was going to loose her to the guy with perfect hair who apparently has enough time to both save the world and write Sonnets.

"You ok?" The bartender asked

"I'm in love" House answered before smacking himself in the forehead for being too honest.

"This one's on me." The bartender said, placing a glass of scotch in front of him. He drank it and for a moment he felt warm all over. The way he felt when he was kissing Cuddy. It was the way he felt when she smiled at him. House looked up at Danny, who waved and smiled before going back to his phone call. House picked up his cell phone and called the only person he would ever bother to put on speed dial.

"This better be important." Answered Wilson in a distractedly.

"Come drink with me." House whined.

"I'm on a date. Besides, you sound like you've had a few."

"You already got laid twice today. Tell Cameron to give it a rest."

"I really don't think I'm going to do that but thank you for the advice."

"I'm in love."

"House, It's five o'clock. It's really way too early for a drunken phone call."

"Wilson! I'm trying to bare my soul."

"Really?"

"No, i'm trying to bury the information in my brain so I never have to think about it again. Now come drink with me!" House whined into the phone, making each words several syllables longer than they should be.

"Fine but I'm bringing Cameron."

"Dude, Bros before Hoes." House complained.

"It's our first date. I'm not going to ditch her."

"Dude" House said, "It's the beginning of your first date and you've already nailed her twice." House

"Yeah?" Wilson said defensively

"Nice"

20 Minutes Later

Wilson and Cameron walked into the bar and spotted House right away. He was balancing a spoon on his nose and a small crowd had gathered around him.

"House!" Wilson called

"Shh" Danny whispered to Wilson, "He's been balancing that spoon on his nose for more than ten minutes."

"You didn't try to keep up with House, did you?" Wilson asked a very drunken Danny.

"I'm Irish!" Danny exclaimed.

"You're also trashed." Wilson said. Just than Wilson heard a clang and the sound of a disappointed crowd with a smattering of applause.

"Wilson! Cameron!" shouted House, "Give my good friends plenty of drinks. They have a lot of catching up to do."

An Hour And a Half Later

"CAMERON, CAMERON!" The crowd shouted. Cameron sat on the bar with a spoon hanging off of her nose. She looked stunning in her red dress with delicate spaghetti straps and strapy stiletto sandals. When it finally fell, the crowed cheered.

"15 minutes, 25 seconds." The bartender said, looking at his stop watch. "That, little lady, deserve a drink on the house." He place the drink in front of Cameron. Wilson wrapped his arms around her and she blushed fiercely before taking the shot of tequila and kissing him. The crowd dispersed. The four of them walked towards a booth at the back of the bar. They settled in there seat, each one of them a good deal more drunk than they had been only hours before. Danny looked at his watch,

"I've have to be on a plane with a toddler in 8 hours." Danny said, "I'm going to call a cab"

"Where is your kid?" asked House suddenly.

"The Bartlet's are spoiling her. When I pick her up tomorrow, she's going to have twice as much stuff than i dropped her off with. Happens every time. They just can't say no. Although since she probably had to listen to Jed Bartlet tell her the history of the yam, in Latin, It seems like a fair trade."

"It was really great meeting you and your wife." Cameron gushed, "It was really an honor"

"Cameron don't fawn, its embarrassing all of us." House handed her a twenty, "GO! Buy yourself a drink while the big boys talk." Cameron looked at the twenty dollar bill suspiciously before shrugging her shoulders and taking the money.

"It really was an honor."

"Cameron!" House said loudly while pointing to the bar, "Get. Drink. Now."

"Fine, but I'm not getting you anything." Cameron walked towards the bar. Danny shook Wilson's hand and than turned to House,

"Promise me You'll think about it. I'll send over copies of the first few pieces so you can get an idea of what it would be like."

"I might consider thinking about it." House said. House was getting the distinct impression that Danny was no longer nearly as drunk as any of them.

"Best I could hope for." Danny shook House's hand, waved to Cameron and than went outside to his waiting cab.

"What's he talking about?" Wilson asked

"Want to interview me"

"For what, an expose about doctors using Vicodin?"

"Something for the New Yorker. Profiles of interesting people. Apparently, I'm interesting."

"What about the pills or other illegal activities you participate in?" Wilson asked

"Totally anonymous."

"Oh my god!" Wilson pointed at House, "You're considering it? Are you out of your mind?"

"Its anonymous! And I'm not considering anything. Too many skeletons under that bridge."

"That's not how it..." Wilson said before changing his mind. Cameron walked up to the table with three drinks in her hands. She placed them on the table and sat down next to Wilson.

"I decided to be the bigger person and get everyone drinks" Cameron handed Wilson the twenty dollar bill.

"Hey that's mine!" House reached out and Cameron smacked his hand away.

"This is you, starting to pay Wilson back for all those flowers." Cameron smiled at Wilson and he smiled back, putting the money in his wallet.

"I'm going to be sick." House said dryly, "Or get a cavity."

"Can you be happy for me for five minutes?" Wilson whispered.

"Well this shot will go along way towards making that happen." House said taking the shot and downing it in. "And you can make it up to me all the way if you give me something for my glaucoma." House moved his eyes brows up and down suggestively.

"Is it something dirty?" asked Cameron.

"No" Wilson sighed, "It's something for nausea and glaucoma." Wilson spoke slowly while looking at Cameron. She narrowed her eyes at him confused until it hit her.

"Oh... Oh!" Cameron picked up her tequila and slammed it. "I'm in, lets call a cab." House and Cameron looked at Wilson with big eyes, waiting for his approval.

"Cuddy did make me take it out of the hospital so I've got it on me." He shrugged, relenting. Cameron flipped open her phone and called a cab while House looked at Wilson smirking.

"She says let's do it and we're going to just do it? It's early to be so whipped." House stood up and Wilson helped Cameron into her coat. The trio headed towards the door for what was sure to be an interesting night.

TBC

Go sudefed. Hopes this makes sense. I needed a little fun in my story. I'll go back to serious after the next chapter. Sorry if its lame. Blame the germs


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer 1

This chapter is an Intermezzo: A cleansing of the pallet before the next chapter. Contains some drug and alcohol use. Inspired by the large amounts of Tylonal (sp?) with Codeine that I have been given for pain caused by a massive infection.

Feel free to skip this chapter if that bothers you. (You won't miss much, if any plot information). But a girls got to have some fun and in this story that means I get to make House, Cameron and Wilson get high. Sorry if it bugs you. I wrote this mostly to make my self feel better. Because even though this would never happen. It would be the funniest episode ever (although you never know, House has both dropped acid and has shot up on the show...

Disclaimer: House and West Wing are not mine. I also don't own any of the movies referenced in this story. Shocked? Dismayed? Yeah me too.

References and or lines from two of the best movies ever: The princess Bride and Serenity. References and lines from that 70's show.

**In which our favorite characters dip into Wilson's stash**

House's House (Te-He)

House, Wilson and Cameron lay on the floor of House's apartment contemplated the shapes the smoke made as if hung in the air. As it turns out, Wilson only had one joint left after delivering the rest to his cancer patient's going through chemotherapy. Luckily for them it was medical grade marijuana so that was all they needed.

"House" Wilson called out slowly before taking a hit.

"Hmm?"

"House" Wilson exhaled loudly, blowing smoke in House's general direction.

"Who is that?" House lifted his head and looked around. He squinted at Wilson through the smoke, "Are you my conscious?"

"Usually" Wilson answered dryly

"I can't believe we're doing this" Cameron said.

"That's the 3rd time you've said that since we got here." House said, "I know you're excited to be hanging out with the cool kids but try to stay cool."

"House?" Cameron whined slightly.

"Cameron" House said, "I'm this close to moving you up to the don't hate section of the list. Do you really want to take the risk of pissing me off now?"

"My party dress is too binding." Cameron said.

"Well feel free to get naked any time you want" House answered, "Did you hear that Wilson, she put on an uncomfortable dress on for you."

"House?" Cameron asked again, this time using a quiet, come hither voice, "Can I borrow a pair of pajama's?" House sighed and turn towards Cameron,

"Fine. My mother gives me a pair every Christmas. I've never worn any of them. It's the only thing I can guaranty to be clean. Check the box in the front closet."

"Awesome" Cameron jumped up and ran to the closet. She found a pair quickly and than ran to the bathroom to change. On her way back, she grabbed a glass of water from the kitchen.

"Water! You are my favorite" House said ecstatically. He grabbed the water and finished it off in two gulps. "Refill" House shouted and limped over to the couch. Cameron shrugged and went to refill the glass. When she returned, House tried to grab the glass out of her hand. She held it above his head teasingly,

"Stay cool, tool" Cameron said giggling. Surprisingly, House began to laugh as well and soon they were all in the middle of a laughing fit.

"Stop that rhyming I mean it!" House told Cameron.

"Anybody want a peanut?" Wilson picked up the cue. Cameron stared at Wilson and House as they dissolved into hysterical laughter.

"Hit and Pass" Cameron said, grabbing the joint from House.

"You can't tell me you don't know that line." Wilson asked Cameron, shocked.

"What line?" Cameron asked

"Oh, now you're just killing me. The line from the Princess Bride."

"What?" Cameron asked, confused

"Only the best movie ever." House answered.

"Except for Serenity." Wilson interrupted.

"Except for Serenity." Agreed House.

"What movie?" Cameron asked again.

"The Princess Bride."

"I've never seen it." Cameron said. Wilson and House stared at Cameron for a moment before House stood up and leaped into action. Within ten minutes, all three of them were sitting on the couch, drinking beer and watching, The Princess Bride. As the grandfather began narrating the story about sword fights, giants and true love, House lit up the second half of the joint and passed it to Cameron.

After the Movie  


"Since the invention of the kiss, there have been five kisses that were rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind. The end." (The Princess Bride (1987)

The trio sat on the couch. The had laughed through the movie, enjoying every aspect. Wilson and House took turns saying lines along with the movie. Cameron sat on the edge of her seat, beaming at the movie. Her eyes were open wider than a child seeing a movie for the first time.

"Wow" Cameron said, smiling , "Wow"

"I told you." Wilson said. Cameron stood up, smiling manically at Wilson. He looked frightened for a moment before Cameron picked up an empty paper towel role and pointed it at Wilson,

"HELLO! MY NAME IS INIGO MONTOYA. YOU KILLED MY FATHER. PREPARE TO DIE." Cameron did her best Mandy Patinkin impression. Wilson grinned and took off into a run. Cameron chased him, giggling loudly. When Wilson got to the kitchen, he turned around and caught Cameron in his arms, kissing her deeply.

"Are you one of those girls who get really horny when she smokes pot?" House shouted from the living room, "Cause you can't use my bed!"

"Oh you're just mad because you're in love." Wilson said

"He's in love?" Cameron asked, running into the living room, "You're in love? Is it Cuddy? It's Cuddy isn't it?"

"God Cameron." House said, "If you were glowing anymore you would be a light bulb." His voice grew hostile, "You're perfect for each other. You both get off on love and suffering." House watched as Cameron's eyes began to shine. He knew it was taking all of her strength to not cry in front of him.

"I have to" Cameron paused for a moment and her voice shook slightly, "Excuse me." She walked quickly to the bathroom and closed the door.

"Fuck" House shouted, "This is the second time I pissed a girl off today by talking about love."

"If that's what you said to Cuddy, It wouldn't surprise me if she did choose Sam over you." Wilson knew he had gone to far. House looked like he had been slapped in the face.

"I told her I loved her." House said quietly.

"What did she say?" Wilson asked gently.

"Nothing" House sighed deeply, "Than I gave her the Sonnet."

"You gave her the Sonnet?" Wilson asked shocked, "Why would you give the women you love a sonnet written by another man?"

"I was trying to be honest. And be, you know... More caring."

"You choose now to be honest?" Wilson began to pace. His best friend was in the middle of a romantic crisis and his new girlfriend was probably crying in the bathroom. On the one hand Cameron was the first women he felt a real connection to in a long time. Their connection already ran deeper than he had ever experienced before. On the other hand, his best friend couldn't survive another heart break. If things went badly with Cuddy, he would retreat into his shell and never come out again. Wilson ran his finger's through his hair before throwing his hands up in defeat.

"I don't know what to do!" Wilson shouted to both Cameron and Wilson., "No one seems happy."

"My problem is real and hers is a stupid emotional reaction to something i said. And it only matters in her crazy female brain."

"My problem is that House is an ass." Cameron shouted from the bathroom.

"You both make fair points." Wilson said calmly. He spoke the same way he did when he was comforting patients. Infinitely comforting and infinitely understanding. "Let's be fair and talk about the real problems. House, you are mad at me for telling Cameron you love Cuddy. You're taking it out on her because... well... that's what you do. Cameron is upset because you're an ass." Wilson smiled, pleased with himself for being able to lay out the issues so clearly.

"Actually I'm unhappy because Cuddy is going out Sonnet boy."

"I thought he was perfect hair guy" Cameron shouted from the bathroom.

"New game, new name" House said, cryptically. "still crying Cameron? I thought you were all hard core now.

"I'm not crying." Cameron shouted, "I'm thinking up ways to torture you."

"Good girl." Said House, "I'm putting you on the list of people i don't hate. Right below Cuddy and above Wilson."

"Why did I get knocked down?" Wilson asked

"You told your girlfriend that I love Cuddy."

"Oh... That" Wilson said. The bathroom door opened and Cameron emerged, looking fresh. She apparently had taken time in the bathroom to wash her face and straighten her hair. The light shone behind her hair and made her look like an angel or an siren. Wilson and House took a moment to study her beauty.

"Got any more weed?" Cameron asked, breaking the spell.

"Keep up the good questions and I'll have to put you above Cuddy on the list." House and Cameron looked at Wilson hopefully.

"Fine" Wilson said, pulling a joint out of his breast pocket. "But this is really the last one." House and Cameron clapped their hands like children and settled down to smoke again

10 minutes Later (imagine a That 70's Show style circle. If you haven't seen That 70's Show, just imagine a circle clouded with smoke and goofy stoners saying funny/stupid things)

"The oil companies control everything man." House took the joint from Wilson. And Continued, "Like there's this guy who invented a car that runs on water."

"Like a boat?" asked Cameron before she took a gigantic hit.

"No it's car. Only you put water in the gas tank, instead of gas." House started laughing, "It's a car...and it runs on water man." Cameron burst out laughing, exhaling a huge cloud of smoke in the process.

"I never heard of this car." she started giggling again.

"I am so baked." Wilson said, "I think"

"Here" House handed Wilson the joint, "Take a man size hit. Cameron's kicking your ass." They passed it around a few more times before finally putting it out.

"Yeah, I'm baked" Wilson leaned back comfortably.

"Have you ever seen a twenty dollar bill?" Cameron asked, pulling out her wallet. "Have you ever seen a twenty dollar bill on weeeed?" Cameron giggled and handed the bill to a captivated Wilson.

"So spill." Cameron said to a surprised House, "Cuddy, perfect hair guy, I heard something about a sonnet?"

"And we were having such a good time. This isn't girl talk or sharing time."

"She'll get over it" She walked over to sit next to House.

"You don't know that." House said. They watched as Wilson carefully inspected the bill. She smiled, "Newbies always love to look at money."

"My, my Ally" House feigned horror, "Were you, my perfect duckling a pot head?"

"In High School" Cameron admitted, "And college."

"Keep surprising me like this and I might end up sanctioning this crazy little experiment." House motioned to Cameron and Wilson before making a lewd gesture with his hands.

"You never told me how extraordinary he is." Cameron said suddenly, "Why do you pretend that he's so ordinary when you have to know that he's anything but?

"Being special is the only the only thing I have left."

"I can't tell if your being sarcastic or not" Cameron said

"Neither can I" said House.

"I can." Wilson spoke up from his place on the couch. "And you House, have got it bad."

TBC

I hope this makes sense. Thanks for keeping up with the story and I promise to update with a real chapter in the next day or two. Thank you for indulging me.


	20. Chapter 20

The West Wing and House do not belong to me.

The West Wing

CJ sat in Josh's desk chair and stared at Sam. She had been back in the White House for less than an hour and she had already taken over. She ran the senior staff meeting, dismissed the group before calling Sam to stay behind.

"So, I heard a rumor." CJ said to Sam

"A rumor?" Sam asked.

"Yes, and if I thought for even a second that it was true I'd probably have to kill you." CJ a long drink of coffee and stared at him, "Is it true that you're dating a call girl girl again?"

"She's not a call girl."

"She used to be." CJ sighed, "Sam, you work 50 feet from the oval office."

"Josh said it was fine."

"I don't care what Josh says. Josh almost died a few days ago and he's about to get married to the love of his life. Of course he's saying seize the day."

"I like her" Sam smiled sadly, "I've never stopped thinking about her. I could love her"

"I know Sam. And if you want to go out an find love with a former call girl, than good for you. But you can't work here while you do that."

"Why, because I work in a town where adults aren't allowed private lives?"

"Well, yeah, for starters. Where do you think you are right now? This is the White House and it is a privilege to work here. But you have to be willing to give up a lot of things and a private life is one of them. People will use this information against you and against the president."

"You don't know that will happen."

"It always happens. And maybe you can handle the press and the backlash. But what about the president and his agenda. This isn't the time to be distracted by the staff acting like they live in a soap opera."

"I resent that." Sam stood up to leave.

"Samuel, sit back down. I'm not done talking to you yet." He sighed and sat down.

"What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to think about the consequences of your actions. This women is now the Dean of Medicine at one of the best hospitals in the country. Two weeks after she starts dating you, her past will be all over the papers and thats it. She changed her name and moved to a different state for gods sake. She doesn't want her past coming up."

"I asked her to dinner. I started this again. I can't just call her and tell her..."

"You're booked on a flight to New Jersey tonight. And the first flight out tomorrow morning." CJ handed him a copy of his flight information, "Be back for work tomorrow morning. Make a choice Sam. Don't make Josh have to do it for you."

House's Apartment.

Cameron sat on the floor eating Twizzlers and going through House's extensive DVD collection,

"Fraggle Rock! Sweet." She popped the DVD in and sat down, a foot away from the television.

"You make a better wall than a window!" House shouted.

"Hmm?"

"Your giant head is blocking the TV." House threw a box of milk duds at her.

"I didn't bring my glasses." Cameron complained.

"You always keep them in your purse. " House reached into Cameron's purse and pulled out the glasses case, "You just don't want to wear them in front of the boy wonder." Cameron blushed a deep shade of red before walking over to sit on the couch between House and Wilson.

"Everybody lies" House said solemnly. Cameron grabbed the beer out of House's hand.

"I think you look pretty in glasses." Wilson said, wrapping his arms around her.

"Eww." House turned the volume up and stole his beer back from Cameron.

"Shh, quiet" Wilson whispered, holding his finger in the ear. House and Cameron closed their mouths and leaned towards Wilson, staring at his finger,

"What are we looking at?" Cameron asked

"I thought we were supposed to be listening for something"

"We're not looking at something?" Cameron and House looked at each other, confused. There was a loud knock at the door. The trio stared at each other, there eyes wide.

"I know you're in there, House!" Cuddy yelled from the other side of the door, "OPEN THIS DOOR!" Cameron jumped to her feet and ran to the door.

"Lisa!" She opened the door and hugged Cuddy, "Come in." Cameron pulled her inside. Cuddy slammed the door shut, put her hands on her hips and stared coldly at House. House hopped to his feet, Cuddy could see pain, flash across his face. And something else. Guilt. She smiled. Gregory House actually felt guilt. A moment of humanity. There eyes connected and for a moment the anger melted away. And than Cuddy looked around the room.

"Are you high?" She asked. Wilson and Cameron fell into a giggle fit, "Is that a yes?"

"I imagine that this doesn't bode well for me." House took a deep breath, trying to shake the post stoned fog that seemed to be hanging around his head. "If you give me a minute I could give you five good reasons to not hate me."

"It going to take a lot more than five."

"Cameron, Wilson, leave." House pointed towards the door.

"They can't drive, look at them" Cuddy and House looked at Cameron and Wilson, sitting on the couch, still in hysterics. House rolled his eyes.

"Fine, than leave the room." House commanded.

"But, Fraggle..." Cameron protested, before looking at the way Cuddy was glaring at House. "Ok" Cameron grabbed Wilson's hand and led him out of the room.

"I'm not good at this" House said

"You think?"

"I'm sorry."

"You don't love me." Cuddy said suddenly. "I've become interesting to you."

"You haven't suddenly become interesting to me. You've always been interesting to me." House protested.

"No, It makes perfect sense. You had me all figured out. You could categorize me the way you categorize everyone." Cuddy smiled at him, ruefully, "And than you find out a juicy secret about my past. A different name, a different life. And now I'm interesting to you. Now you have to figure me out. You want me now. But then you'll figure out the puzzle. You always do. I won't be interesting to you anymore."

She stared at him, her eyes shone with unshed tears. House stared at her, not saying a word. He willed himself to say something, anything to her but the words caught in his throat. By the time he looked up, she was gone.

TBC


	21. Chapter 21

House and West Wing do not belong to me. I am just playing with them. I'll put them back when I'm done.

A/N. Sorry this took so long

Cuddy's Office

Cuddy sat in her office later the next day. She had two new potential donors sitting in front of her. If she played her cards right they would have a new wing on the children's ward by the end of the meeting. She felt a momentary flush of pride in her ability to do her job in the face of an overwhelming personal challenges. Every man in her life had apparently decided to screw with her over the last few days and she could still pull five million dollars out of a couple who had 3 dozen other charitable options before them.

"Thank you so much for coming in today Mr. And Mrs. Dalton." Cuddy smiled, "You're generosity will help countless children." She walked them to the door and opened it directly into Sam Seaborne.

"Ow" Sam shouted.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry"

"It's alright."

"What are you doing here?" Cuddy asked

"I came to see you." Sam answered, "Are you busy? I'm sorry"

"It's fine. I was just walking Mr. And Mrs. Dalton to the door."

"You're Sam Seaborne." Mr. Dalton said, "From the White House?"

"Yes Sir" Sam said, "And if I'm not mistaken you are Alfred Dalton. Your foundation has saved more lives than any single NGO in history."

"You are kind."

"I'm a big fan. This is my card. In case you're ever in DC. If we can help you out. Just give me a call." Sam handed his card over the the man before shaking his hand and saying good-bye. Cuddy and Sam watched the couple walk away.

"What are you doping here, Sam?"

"Taking you to dinner."

"I have to work."

"When you're done working than." He smiled at her and she smiled back.

"Fine. I have to make a few more calls and see one patient before I can go anywhere."

"I'm going to see Josh." He leaned in to kiss her, softly on the cheek. "Call me when you're ready and I'll sweep you off your feet." She watched him walk away before going back into her office, closing the door and picking up the phone.

House's Office

Cameron sat at House's desk, organizing his mail while she waited for the coffee to brew. She heard her cell phone ring.

"Cameron" She answered

"You have come to my office." Cuddy said quickly into the phone.

"Lisa?"

"Can you understand the words coming out of my mouth or have you been rocking the wacky tobaccy again?"

"I'm fine. I'll be down in a minute." Cameron was already on her feet, walking towards the elevator. "What happened?"

"I'll tell you when you get here. Just hurry up." Cuddy hung up the phone and Cameron pressed the elevator button until it arrived.

Cuddy's Office

Cuddy paced in her office, waiting for Cameron to arrive. When she heard the knock on the door she opened it quickly and pulled Cameron inside.

"I have a date." Cuddy said quickly. Cameron's eyes widened and she smile.

"With House?"

"With Sam."

"You're going on a date with perfect hair guy?" Cameron's face fell.

"I like him. He likes me."

"So."

"So?" Cuddy asked, confused. "You've been working with House for too long."

"House loves you."

"He does not. Everyone needs to stop saying that. He finds me interesting. He does not love me."

"He loves you." Cameron smiled sadly. "He loves you. I don't think he could ever love anyone else." Cuddy walked over to the chair and sat down with her head in her hands,

"What do I do?"

"You risk it. You take a chance that maybe the person who has been under your nose the whole time is the person you're meant to be with."

"When did you get so good at this?" Cuddy asked, "I thought you where as emotionally stunted as the rest of us."

"You know that expression, those who can't do, teach?" Cameron sat down. "Those who can't do, give advice."

"You're sleeping with Wilson."

"Yes."

"Thrice divorced, best friends with House, living in a hotel, Wilson"

"Yes."

"And you are giving me advice about who I should be in a relationship with."

"I think that you love him. I think that you're afraid because a relationship with House would be almost impossible." Cameron paused, trying to put thoughts into words, "But you're forgetting that every relationship is almost impossible. No matter how long it last, time with the people you love and care about is precious."

"And you're in no way biased by the fact that you're in a relationship with House's best friend?" Cuddy crossed her arms and stared at Cameron,

"I'm not biased."

"Cameron" Cuddy said warningly.

"If I'm lying may I be forced to work for an asshole."

"You have been working with House for too long."

"Likewise" Cameron smiled, "And you know I'm right. Besides he lives in DC. What are you going to do, move?"

"That's actually a good point."

"You really can't date perfect hair guy."

"Oh I'm going on a date with perfect hair guy." Cuddy stood up, "And I'm borrowing your lipstick, It really pops"

"Thank you. But you can't borrow my lipstick if its for a date with perfect hair guy. It just wouldn't be right."

"I won't tell you any details unless you lend it to me."

"Fine." Cameron reached into her pocket and pulled out the lipstick and handed it to Cuddy. "But you had better call me the moment the dates finished." Cameron got up and left Cuddy's office. Cuddy looked in the mirror and applied the new lipstick. She was right; it did pop.

Josh's Room

Josh sat on a chair in his hospital room, drinking beer and playing poker with House and Wilson. House had used the, "It's Friday afternoon" excuse, coupled with the old saying, "It's five o'clock somewhere." Wilson sipped his beer and dealt the cards,

"Poker with three people sucks." House complained.

"Deal me in" Sam said from the doorway.

"Sam, you're supposed to be helping to run the free world."

"You're supposed to be recovering from a life-threatening illness." Sam walked into the room and pulled up a chair to the table, "So I guess we're both in trouble."

"Oh snap" House said, delightedly. He gathered the cards and from the table and shuffled the deck.

"I can't believe you're playing cards with this guy." Sam said, "He stole the flowers I sent Laurie."

"Her name is Lisa." House said, "And I gave back the sonnet."

"You took the flowers and kept the sonnet for days before giving it to her." Sam stood up again.

"But he did give it back" Josh said, opening another beer, "Have a beer."

"Wilson used some of them to woo Cameron." House pointed at Wilson.

"I gave most of them to Cancer patients." Wilson said, defending himself.

"So, the Cameron thing is happening?" Josh asked.

"Totally" House answered

"Nice." Josh smiled and drank his beer. Sam looked around the room. He felt like he was in the twilight zone.

"This is not happening." Sam cringed

"I'll be back in the office in a few days. I've been in constant contact with DC and the president. I'm being discharged tomorrow." Josh laughed, "You got to learn how to relax. But not now. Now you need to go back to DC and work."

"I have a date" Sam said. House looked at Sam and narrowed his eyes.

"You have a date?" Josh said, "With whom?"

"Laurie."

"Lisa." House corrected. He leaned on his cane and stood up. Even slightly stooped over his cane, House was still taller than Sam. "Her name is Lisa Cuddy and if you're planning on dating her than you might want to get her name right."

"I've known her for a long time, House" Sam said smugly. "I don't think I need your advice."

"Watch it pony boy. Or you might find your self hit in the head with a large cane shaped object." House leaned forward.

Wilson looked back and forth at House and Sam, nervously. Suddenly his pager went off. He groaned inwardly, wondering if drinking a beer after the last patient of the day had canceled had jinxed the chances of his actually having fun during that time. He smiled when he realized that it was Cameron and not the emergency room that had paged him. He pressed the button to retrieve the message that she sent.

**Sky is falling. Call me back ASAP.**


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer. The characters from House and West Wing do not belong to me. And I'm guessing that you know that. First and foremost you (my dear reader) are not stupid. Second, I've stated before every chapter that they don't belong to me. It would be strange if they suddenly did belong to me. I'm rambling I know but you get the point... not mine.

Princeton Plainsboro Hospital

Cameron raced down the hallway to Wilson's office. She opened the door after a quick knock and found Wilson standing behind his desk. House was sitting in Wilson's chair with his head on the desk and a bottle of Vicodin in his hand.

"Thanks for the heads up, Cameron." House yelled.

"You knew 10 minutes after I did." Cameron walked into the office and closed the door.

"What restaurant are they going to?" House asked

"I don't know." Cameron answered.

"You're useless." House stood up and walked towards Cameron.

"I'm sorry. She's going to call me with details later."

"And than you'll do each others hair." House opened the door and walked out, "I'm not interested."

"Than I say we drink" Said Wilson as he walked over to Cameron and kissed her on the cheek. House narrowed his eyes and sneered at Cameron and Wilson,

"Fine, But you're buying and no PDA."

"I didn't expect anything else." Wilson smiled and put his arms around both House and Cameron, leading them to the elevator. "Look on the bright side. You might be able to ease drop on the phone call between Cameron and Cuddy."

"I didn't think about that." House said, noticeably brightening up.

Bianca's Italian Restaurant

Sam and Cuddy sat in the corner of a dimly lit restaurant. They pretended to study the menu. They were both suddenly at a loss for words. Cuddy sipped her wine and watched Sam. She realized that they hadn't really had an actually conversation in 10 years. Their time together over the last week involved life and death situations and some fooling around. The only reason she even knew where he was working now was because she read the newspaper.

"So," Sam took a long drink of wine, "Tell me about your life. You're dean of medicine, I know that. But tell me about yourself."

"Being the Dean of Medicine is pretty much my life." She surprised herself with her honesty. She usually tried to downplay the importance of her job on first dates. If this counted as a first date. "That doesn't sound good, does it?"

"No, not at all." Sam said quickly, "My job is my life. I completely understand."

"90 Hours weeks. Change of close hanging on a coat rack."

"Sounds about right." They smiled at each other and the table grew silent again.

"Are you ready to order?" The waiter asked.

"I'm sorry." Cuddy answered I need a few more minutes" The waiter rolled his eyes and walked away. They had been in the restaurant for more than 15 minutes and while they had managed to put away the majority of a bottle of wine and a bread basket, they hadn't managed to pay enough attention to the menu to actually order.

"Sam" Cuddy smiled at Sam and shook her head, "This can't happen."

"What makes you say that?"

"Sam." She patted his arm gently. "You're amazing. And you are changing the world. You can't let my past get in the way of that." Sam started to protest but she held her hand up to stop him, "And I can't let my past get in the way of my life. I've worked for too long and for too hard to let my past get in the way. I don't care that I used to be a call girl. It really doesn't bother me. But it would bother other people. I have to protect the hospital and you have to protect the White House. You know I'm right."

"Why are you assuming that someone would find out?" Sam asked frustrated.

"For someone so smart, you can be truly oblivious. Of course somebody would find out."

"I know." Sam sighed, "Honestly I think I would feel a little better If you were looked at least a little broken up about it."

"I'll order something with onions. Maybe it will make me tear up." Cuddy smiled guiltily, "Sorry, I've been working with House for too long."

"Oh no" Sam said, looking at Cuddy with a realization, "Oh no"

"What?" She looked at before finishing her glass of wine and refilling her glass.

"The man threatened to beat me with a large cane shaped object." Sam voice began to rise, "He stole the flowers I sent you. And the sonnet."

"Some people might argue that you being a writer puts you at an unfair advantage with the ladies."

"I'm going to assume that comment comes from working with House for too long." Sam finished his wine, "I'm going to need more alcohol. Lots and lots of alcohol."

"Than lets forget dinner and hit a bar." Cuddy stood up and grabbed her coat. "It will be like old times. If you're lucky I'll make you a drink. I did used to be a bartender too you know. Not just a whore." She walked out of the restaurant leaving enough cash on the table to cover the drinks. Sam got up and followed her out,

"Thanks for paying." Sam said to Cuddy as her helped her on with her coat.

"Well, you do work for a government wage. Besides it's the least I can do considering the fact that you flew all the way here and you will under no circumstances be getting any sex tonight."

"Why do women keep saying that to me?" Sam asked

"Don't worry Sammy. We are going to find you a nice girl tonight. I can feel it."

TBC

Thanks for reading and reviewing. It makes everything shiny.


	23. Chapter 23

House and West Wing are not mine.

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Cuddy walked through the door of the bar with Sam at her heels. She smiled at the bartender and he smiled back before turning around and getting Cuddy her usual drink.

"What up Doc?" The man behind the bar placed a drink in front of Cuddy.

"Not much Jim. How about yourself?" Cuddy asked. Sam sat down next to her and ordered a drink. I loud burst of laughter interrupted from a booth in the corner of the bar. They turned to find Wilson, Cameron and House sitting around with spoons hanging off of their noses.

"Just so you know." Cuddy said to Sam, "There are certain aspects of my life that I'm not happy about."

"Cuddy!!" Wilson and Cameron shouted from their booth. House sulked in the corner when he realized that Cuddy was still on her date with Sam.

"Well" Sam paused, looking around the room, "What are we up to tonight?"

"Shouldn't you be in DC playing the part of a dashing political operative?" House asked.

"Shouldn't you be in rehab?" Sam countered.

"Nice" House actually smiled, "That deserves a drink. Wilson, buy the man a drink." Wilson motioned to the bar tender for another round before getting up to help carry them back to the table.

"Oh my god that lipstick looks great on you!" Cameron gushed.

"Thank you." Cuddy handed the lipstick back to Cameron, who than applied it using the reflection from the napkin dispenser. Cameron blew a kiss at Wilson, who placed the beers on the table before reaching up to catch the imaginary kiss and placing it in his pocket.

"EWW" Shouted Cuddy and House. They looked at each other and laughed. That's when Sam realized three things. First, he was sitting between House and Cuddy. Second, he was getting increasingly uncomfortable with with how close they seemed to be to jumping each other. Three, Cuddy and House where clearly in love with each other.

"You know." Sam stood up making both Cuddy and House have to lean away from each other. "I've got a long day tomorrow. I think I'm just going to catch an earlier flight."

"Nonsense." Cuddy said, "You've got tickets for a flight leaving in 4 hours. You can stay and have a drink or two. Besides I told you I would help you find a women."

"That's really not..."

"Cameron, who do you know in DC?" Cuddy looked at Cameron who drank her beer, contemplating the question.

"Well we can include parts of Maryland and Virginia in the search area." Cameron said. Cameron had pulled out her sidekick and was looking through her address book.

"That true. But I think he would like someone involved in politics."

"Do you ladies need the white board?" Sam asked.

"I could have Foreman and Chase bring it over." House offered. Cuddy got up to sit next to Cameron. The men sat at the other end of the table watching as the girls leaned close together to look at Cameron's sidekick.

"What are you doing?" Sam asked.

"I'm just e-mailing my friend Ainsley. She would be perfect for you." Cameron spoke gleefully before finishing the e-mail.

"Ainsley?" Sam asked suspiciously.

"We did undergrad together. She's blond, leggy, and brilliantly smart."

"Ainsley Hayes?" Sam asked.

"You know her?" Cameron asked, closing her phone and looking at him, "Isn't she great?"

"She's a republican." Sam said

"But she's brilliant. And she beautiful. And you are just her type."

"What's her type?" Sam asked, remembering Ainsley. How she had both fascinated him and drove him crazy.

"Smart, passionate, great hair." Cameron answered.

"What kind of name is Ainsley?" House asked.

"The name of the girl who is perfect for Sam" Wilson said, looking meaningfully at House. House furrowed his brow and looked at Wilson like he was crazy.

"House, don't do that." Cuddy reached out and ran her hand over his bow soothingly, "It makes you look like early man."

"Yeah." Sam said looking back and forth at House and Cuddy. "I think I'm going to catch an early flight. Now that you and Cameron have found me a women and all."

"We'll help you find a cab." Wilson said, standing up and motioning to Cameron. In less than five minute, Sam, Wilson and Cameron had left the table, settled their tab (Wilson left a little extra in case House had actually forgotten his wallet) and left the bar. Cuddy and House sat at the table, suddenly silent and uncomfortable.

"Well that wasn't subtle in anyway." Cuddy said.

"Subtlety was never Wilson's strong suit." House responded.

"Come home with me." Cuddy said suddenly. House choked on his beer and began coughing loudly. Cuddy leaned back in her chair and smiled at his reaction. When House finally stopped coughing he stood up and pulled Cuddy to her feet.

"Yes" House led Cuddy to the bar, where he handed the bartender a hundred dollars without asking for the bill and led Cuddy out of the door.

TBC (Almost done!)

A/N Sorry that took so long. First I worked for about a million hours and than I got stomach flu on my day off.


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: West Wing and House are not mine.

Getting What You Want

The ride to Cuddy's apartment was awkwardly silent. House found himself struck dumb- afraid to say anything that might ruin his chance with Cuddy. She was taking him home. She drove quickly and efficiently. When they arrived at their destination she turned off the car and turned to look at him.

"I'm not a sure thing." She said, "Your going to have to work hard to get me in the sack." She sauntered towards her front door and unlocked it.

"Yes, Mistress." House paused for a moment and then followed her inside. He could see her bag and coat laying in the front hallway. That's when he noticed a trail of clothing leading to her bedroom. He followed it eagerly until he reached her bedroom. She lay on her bed in her slip.

"Rub my feet" She said with a smile.

"Rub my leg" He smiled, "I'm the gimp." He sat on the bed and grabbed one of her feet. He rubbed it slowly. Cuddy moaned.

"I'm not going to cave in that easily." Cuddy said. House grabbed her other foot and began to massage it. After a few minutes Cuddy stretched her legs out and sighed. House leaned towards her and kissed her. She wrapped her legs around him and pulled him towards her. There hands couldn't move fast enough. Neither could believe that they were actually doing what they had been dreaming of for so many years.

"Lisa" House whispered softly in her ear.

"Yes."

"Nothing, I just wanted to call you Lisa."

"Greg" She said. They giggled. "That just sounds weird."

"I love you Cuddy" They kissed deeply. "I love you House"

She rolled him over, straddled him and smiled. They made love twice. The first time they were frantic and passionate. They giggled occasionally as they touched each other in awe. He felt like a teenager and for a moment he considered giving her a hickey.

The second time was slower and focused. They took their time, neither really wanting it the end. When at last they finished they lay in each others arms and breathed heavily.

"You're fantastic." House said suddenly

"I know." Cuddy said, smiling. "You're not bad yourself."

Later in Josh's Hospital Room.

House stood in the doorway and watched as Josh tightened his tie.

"You wear one of those things everyday?" House asked.

"I wear what's appropriate." Josh answered.

''You're leaving the hospital. Most people leave in pajama's or sweats." House walked in the room and shut the door behind him. "Most people feel the need to be comfortable when they are going home to recover from a major illness. You on the other hand, are wearing a tie. Which means that your planning on going straight to work. I'm assuming its out of some pathological need to save the world..."

"Hi" Josh interrupted.

"I need to ask you something." House paused, "Do not under any circumstances, assume that this means I think you are smarter than me in any way."

"Ok." Josh said, slowing smiling.

"Don't do that." House snapped.

"Don't do what?"

"Smile"

"Ok" Josh tried not to smile and raised his eyes brows at House.

"Well, if you're going to act like that." House pouted.

"Are you going to ask me a question or are you going to pout like a little girl?" Josh picked up his backpack and looked around the room to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything.

"You and Donna work together."

"Not as closely as we used to." Josh smiled. "But yes, everyday if i can help it."

"And you are together." House stated. "Does that work. Don't you ever just want to kill each other?"

"Sometimes. But than a half a second later you remember that you're talking to the person you love most in the world and that for all your differences, you both really want the same things in life."

"You didn't come up with that by yourself." House whispered, "Oh my god. You're in therapy."

"No. No therapy?"

"We're still under Doctor, Patient confidentially." House said, "I can't tell anyone."

"I have a very stressful job" Josh whined.

"I'm betting you also have more than one skeleton in that closet of yours."

"It's less than effective now that I'm not allowed to talk about most of the things that actually stress me out. But it's helped with some of the skeletons"

"So, back to my thing." House interrupted.

"What is your thing?"

"I want to be with Cuddy but I don't know how to do it." House admitted.

"Wow, that what really hard for you to say wasn't it?"

"Yes. So tell me how."

"You're asking me? You can't ask me. It took me over eight years to kiss the women I love more than anyone else in the world."

"Me too." House smiled and looked at the floor.

"You kissed her? You actually kissed her?" Josh resisted the surprising urge to squeal like a teenager."

"Other things too."

"Excellent."

"So what happens now? I've never really been clear on that."

"You mean what happens after you realize you like a girl?" Josh asked. "It's tricky to be sure but Cuddy knows now so thats a step in the right direction."

"I need more than that."

"It's hard." Josh ruffled his hair, annoyed, "What do you want me to tell you?"

"That it's worth it." House whispered. Josh walked towards him and placed a hand on his shoulder."

"You mean is it worth the potential heartache, humiliation and pain that comes with putting yourself out there? Or are you talking about the special problems that come with working with someone your sleeping with?"

"Pretty much all of it."

"It's worth it."

"Good" House visibly relaxed

"Can I give you a little advice?"

"That was the point of this conversation."

"She going to be right most of the time. That simple fact will annoy you especially since you won't realize that she's right until after you've been a complete ass about it and she hates you. Just ride it out, say that you're sorry. Eventually you'll get make-up sex. The more apologetic you are the better the sex. It's amazing."

"It's behavioral modification."

"Whatever. Works for me. I really do have to go. But you're coming to the wedding. Donna sent you an invitation and we won't take no for an answer."

"I hate weddings"

"Seriously. I work for the president of the United States. I won't take no for an answer." Josh and House stepped into the hallway and began to walk to the elevator. "Come on. It's going to be at the White House."

"So." House said.

"Free food, free booze and the chance to steal knickknacks from the White House."

"Knickknacks?"

"Tons of knickknacks. Plus girls are always impressed by the White House."

"Aren't most people impressed by the White House."

"It's one day. I'm not asking you to serve at the pleasure of the president. I'm asking you to come to a wedding."

"Fine."

"Ok"

"OK"

"I'll see you then."

"Sounds good." Josh moved towards House with his arms open wide.

"What are you doing?" House asked

"I thought you wanted to hug." Said Josh, looking flustered.

"I don't hug"

"Oh, Ok. Than let us never speak of this again." Josh walked away. "And I'll see you at the wedding!" House smiled in spite of himself. Cuddy would be impressed by the fact that he was invited to the White House.

The End

A/N Thanks for reading. Sorry the end took so long. It was a joy to right (most of the time) and I hope a joy to read (Most of the time)


End file.
